Thursday, November 16
Bethlehem, Pa.
7:00 PM
Lehigh University
1-3,0-0Patriot
90
vs
65
Oneonta
1-3,0-0SUNYAC
1
2
F
SUNY Oneonta
29
36
65
Lehigh
47
43
90
Photo by: Katie McNulty
Lehigh Cruises Past Oneonta 90-65 In First Win Of 2023-24
11/16/2023 10:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – After a ten-day hiatus away from their home court, Lehigh men's basketball returned to Stabler Arena on Thursday night. The Mountain Hawks tipped off against the Oneonta Red Dragons at 7 p.m., picking up a commanding 90-65 win.
"I thought tonight was a great opportunity for us to work on some things we don't do all the time in games," said head coach Dr. Brett Reed. "Sometimes it was different combinations… We were also working on some defensive things that were a little bit different. Some of the rotations that we had to make and experiences we had to go through are going to prove invaluable to us moving forward."
Thursday's contest marked the first-ever meeting between Lehigh and Oneonta, a Division III side from upstate New York. The game was the second of four home contests for the Mountain Hawks prior to the start of league play in the new year.
Lehigh (1-3) threw the first punch to begin the first half, scoring seven unanswered points through the first three minutes of the game. However, Oneonta (1-3) responded swiftly with a 13-2 run of their own to gain an early advantage. The Mountain Hawks would soon return to form, uncorking a 20-0 run over the Red Dragons to help carry a 47-29 advantage into the locker room.
"I subbed [our starters] fairly early in the first half," said Reed. "I really loved the mental approach of those guys when they entered back into the game. They came in focused, ended up giving us a huge run, and did a really good job."
The Mountain Hawks extended their lead to 35 to begin the second frame thanks to six made three-pointers in the first ten minutes. Lehigh found contributions from many players, as all 16 Mountain Hawks took the floor in the win.
Lehigh was led by junior Tyler Whitney-Sidney with 16 points on 7-9 shooting from the floor. Whitney-Sidney posted 23 points on 8-11 shooting in Lehigh's first home game against Cornell on November 6 and followed suit with another efficient performance in his second game at Stabler this season.
Sophomore Bube Momah posted a new-career high of 10 points in only 13 minutes of action. The Unionville, Connecticut native also knocked down a pair of free throws to keep him a perfect 12-12 from the line on the season.
Three other Mountain Hawks scored in double-digits, those being junior Keith Higgins Jr. with 11, senior Dominic Parolin with 10, and first-year Cam Gillus, who set a new career-high of 10 points.
No Mountain Hawk player registered over 20 minutes played in Thursday's big win. Twelve players tallied 10+ minutes in the game while every player touched the floor for at least six minutes against the Red Dragons.
"Hopefully an experience like this pays dividends this year, and as importantly could pay dividends down the line," said Reed on the minutes from his depth players. "I really felt like everybody else was genuinely happy that those guys were playing. I didn't see anybody sulking, I saw everybody being engaged, and I think that's a really positive sign."
Lehigh will head back on the road next Tuesday, November 21 for a date with the Monmouth Hawks in New Jersey. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. in West Long Branch. Lehigh's next game inside Stabler Arena will be on November 29 against Saint Francis.
Like Lehigh men's basketball on Facebook, follow on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
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"I thought tonight was a great opportunity for us to work on some things we don't do all the time in games," said head coach Dr. Brett Reed. "Sometimes it was different combinations… We were also working on some defensive things that were a little bit different. Some of the rotations that we had to make and experiences we had to go through are going to prove invaluable to us moving forward."
Thursday's contest marked the first-ever meeting between Lehigh and Oneonta, a Division III side from upstate New York. The game was the second of four home contests for the Mountain Hawks prior to the start of league play in the new year.
Lehigh (1-3) threw the first punch to begin the first half, scoring seven unanswered points through the first three minutes of the game. However, Oneonta (1-3) responded swiftly with a 13-2 run of their own to gain an early advantage. The Mountain Hawks would soon return to form, uncorking a 20-0 run over the Red Dragons to help carry a 47-29 advantage into the locker room.
"I subbed [our starters] fairly early in the first half," said Reed. "I really loved the mental approach of those guys when they entered back into the game. They came in focused, ended up giving us a huge run, and did a really good job."
The Mountain Hawks extended their lead to 35 to begin the second frame thanks to six made three-pointers in the first ten minutes. Lehigh found contributions from many players, as all 16 Mountain Hawks took the floor in the win.
Lehigh was led by junior Tyler Whitney-Sidney with 16 points on 7-9 shooting from the floor. Whitney-Sidney posted 23 points on 8-11 shooting in Lehigh's first home game against Cornell on November 6 and followed suit with another efficient performance in his second game at Stabler this season.
Sophomore Bube Momah posted a new-career high of 10 points in only 13 minutes of action. The Unionville, Connecticut native also knocked down a pair of free throws to keep him a perfect 12-12 from the line on the season.
Three other Mountain Hawks scored in double-digits, those being junior Keith Higgins Jr. with 11, senior Dominic Parolin with 10, and first-year Cam Gillus, who set a new career-high of 10 points.
No Mountain Hawk player registered over 20 minutes played in Thursday's big win. Twelve players tallied 10+ minutes in the game while every player touched the floor for at least six minutes against the Red Dragons.
"Hopefully an experience like this pays dividends this year, and as importantly could pay dividends down the line," said Reed on the minutes from his depth players. "I really felt like everybody else was genuinely happy that those guys were playing. I didn't see anybody sulking, I saw everybody being engaged, and I think that's a really positive sign."
Lehigh will head back on the road next Tuesday, November 21 for a date with the Monmouth Hawks in New Jersey. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. in West Long Branch. Lehigh's next game inside Stabler Arena will be on November 29 against Saint Francis.
Like Lehigh men's basketball on Facebook, follow on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
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Team Stats
Oneo
Lehigh
FG%
.354
.514
3FG%
.263
.333
FT%
.609
.583
RB
37
48
TO
13
16
STL
8
7
Game Leaders
Pts
16
FGM
7
3FGM
1
FTM
1
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
1
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
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