Saturday, January 21
Bethlehem, Pa.
7:00 PM
Lehigh University
vs
Lafayette
Photo by: L.J. Smith
The Rivalry Returns to Stabler Arena as Lehigh Hosts Lafayette
1/20/2023 10:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh men's basketball team is back in Stabler Arena for Saturday night basketball as the Mountain Hawks host Lafayette in The Rivalry presented by Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute. This Patriot League matchup is set to begin at 7 p.m.
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Lehigh (10-8, 5-2 PL) enters the game on a five-game winning streak, most recently taking down Loyola (Md.) 74-70, on the road in Baltimore on Monday night. Sophomore Keith Higgins Jr. was one of three Mountain Hawks to finish in double-figures, leading the team with 27, just one shy of his career high, with shooting 70 percent (7-for-10) from the field with three three-pointers and a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line. He scored 14 first-half points and also added two rebounds and an assist. This was Higgins Jr.'s 13th game reaching double-digits and his third 20-point game of the season. Also reaching 20 points was senior Evan Taylor, who recorded his first double-double of the season, scoring 20 points and bringing down 11 boards. He shot 46.7 percent (7-for-15) from the field and hit two three-pointers. Sophomore Tyler Whitney-Sidney tossed in 18 points to reach double-figures for the 12th time this season
Senior Evan Taylor and sophomores Keith Higgins Jr. and Tyler Whitney-Sidney are averaging 13-plus points for the Mountain Hawks. Taylor recently reached 1,000 career points and contributed 14.9 points with 6.1 rebounds per contest. Higgins Jr. averages 14.6 points per game and 2.0 assists per contest, while Whitney-Sidney is scoring 13.7 points per outing, and a team-leading 30 steals and 2.3 assists per game, along with 4.8 rebounds.
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Lafayette (6-14, 4-3 PL) is coming into Saturday night's game after defeating American (70-59) on the road for its fourth straight victory in Patriot League play and splitting the season series with the Eagles. The Leopards have taken down Holy Cross (62-48), Navy (59-50), and Bucknell (74-67 OT) in this winning streak after falling to Boston U. (73-69 OT), Army (82-65) and American (60-47) to open league action.
Against non-league common opponents, Lafayette and Lehigh had similar results to UMBC (L, 71-63) and Cornell (L, 73-68). Leo O'Boyle leads a trio of Leopards scoring in double-digits, averaging 12.5 points. CJ Fulton and Kyle Jenkins are both scoring 11 points per outing, with Fulton leading the team in assists (96), steals (39) and made 3-pointers (44) while Jenkins averages 5.9 boards per game with 16 blocked shots.
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Lafayette is leading the all-time series 148-92, but the squads are tied at 5-5 in their last 10 games. Lehigh snapped a four-game losing streak with a win in the final regular season game a season ago, which spoiled the Leopards' Senior Day and retirement ceremony for former coach Fran O'Hanlon with a 20-point victory, 78-58. Lehigh looks to make it two straight wins in the series and win its first game inside Stabler Arena since Jan. 2021.
The Mountain Hawks travel to Worcester on Wednesday, Jan 25 to take on Holy Cross. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
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Like Lehigh Men's Basketball on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive content, team updates and more. Single-game tickets are on sale HERE.Â
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Lehigh (10-8, 5-2 PL) enters the game on a five-game winning streak, most recently taking down Loyola (Md.) 74-70, on the road in Baltimore on Monday night. Sophomore Keith Higgins Jr. was one of three Mountain Hawks to finish in double-figures, leading the team with 27, just one shy of his career high, with shooting 70 percent (7-for-10) from the field with three three-pointers and a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line. He scored 14 first-half points and also added two rebounds and an assist. This was Higgins Jr.'s 13th game reaching double-digits and his third 20-point game of the season. Also reaching 20 points was senior Evan Taylor, who recorded his first double-double of the season, scoring 20 points and bringing down 11 boards. He shot 46.7 percent (7-for-15) from the field and hit two three-pointers. Sophomore Tyler Whitney-Sidney tossed in 18 points to reach double-figures for the 12th time this season
Senior Evan Taylor and sophomores Keith Higgins Jr. and Tyler Whitney-Sidney are averaging 13-plus points for the Mountain Hawks. Taylor recently reached 1,000 career points and contributed 14.9 points with 6.1 rebounds per contest. Higgins Jr. averages 14.6 points per game and 2.0 assists per contest, while Whitney-Sidney is scoring 13.7 points per outing, and a team-leading 30 steals and 2.3 assists per game, along with 4.8 rebounds.
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Lafayette (6-14, 4-3 PL) is coming into Saturday night's game after defeating American (70-59) on the road for its fourth straight victory in Patriot League play and splitting the season series with the Eagles. The Leopards have taken down Holy Cross (62-48), Navy (59-50), and Bucknell (74-67 OT) in this winning streak after falling to Boston U. (73-69 OT), Army (82-65) and American (60-47) to open league action.
Against non-league common opponents, Lafayette and Lehigh had similar results to UMBC (L, 71-63) and Cornell (L, 73-68). Leo O'Boyle leads a trio of Leopards scoring in double-digits, averaging 12.5 points. CJ Fulton and Kyle Jenkins are both scoring 11 points per outing, with Fulton leading the team in assists (96), steals (39) and made 3-pointers (44) while Jenkins averages 5.9 boards per game with 16 blocked shots.
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Lafayette is leading the all-time series 148-92, but the squads are tied at 5-5 in their last 10 games. Lehigh snapped a four-game losing streak with a win in the final regular season game a season ago, which spoiled the Leopards' Senior Day and retirement ceremony for former coach Fran O'Hanlon with a 20-point victory, 78-58. Lehigh looks to make it two straight wins in the series and win its first game inside Stabler Arena since Jan. 2021.
The Mountain Hawks travel to Worcester on Wednesday, Jan 25 to take on Holy Cross. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
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| Date: | January 21, 2023 |
| Opponent: | Lafayette Leopards |
| Tip-off: | 7 p.m. |
| Arena (Capacity): | Stabler Arena (5,600) |
| Location: | Bethlehem, Pa. |
| Lehigh's Record: | 10-8, 5-2 Patriot League |
| Lafayette's Record: | 6-14, 4-3 Patriot League |
| Series: | Lafayette, 148-92 |
| Tickets: | LehighTickets.com |
| TV/Video: | Service Electric Network and ESPN+ |
Like Lehigh Men's Basketball on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive content, team updates and more. Single-game tickets are on sale HERE.Â
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Players Mentioned
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