Wednesday, November 29
Bethlehem, Pa.
7:00 PM
Lehigh University
1-6,0-0Patriot
61
vs
62
Saint Francis University
3-5,0-0NEC
1
2
F
Saint Francis (PA)
28
34
62
Lehigh
30
31
61
Photo by: Tommy Biltcliff
Mountain Hawks Drop Heartbreaker 62-61 To Saint Francis
11/29/2023 10:58:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh men's basketball hosted its third game of the season at Stabler Arena on Wednesday night, welcoming the Saint Francis Red Flash to Bethlehem. The Mountain Hawks and Red Flash competed for 40 minutes in a gritty, defensive battle that ultimately concluded in favor of Saint Francis 62-61.
"Credit Saint Francis, they played really hard and it showed primarily on the offensive glass," said head coach Dr. Brett Reed. "Our defensive rebounding percentage was under 50%, you're not going to beat people unless you are willing to be physical."
Lehigh (1-6) and Saint Francis (3-5) are two teams that know each other well, as the Mountain Hawks and Red Flash have faced off in each of the past three seasons. Reed has faced Saint Francis 16 times during his time at Lehigh, posting a record of 11-5 against the Red Flash.
The two teams battled back-and-forth for the entirety of the game, as neither side gained higher than a seven-point advantage. The lead changed hands eight times throughout the game, including when SFU's Cam Gregory knocked down three free throws in the final seconds of the game to secure the Red Flash victory.
A major trend of Wednesday night's game was fouling, as Lehigh committed 20 personal fouls compared to Saint Francis' 23. The Red Flash's prowess on the boards, grabbing 43 as opposed to Lehigh's 35, gave them a significant advantage as well.
Solid defense from both teams was also evident throughout the contest. Lehigh forced 21 turnovers while nabbing nine steals and blocking six shots. Saint Francis did their part on defense as well, forcing 16 turnovers with eight steals and six blocks of their own.
The Mountain Hawks were led by junior Keith Higgins Jr., who posted a season-high of 24 points. Joining Higgins in double-figures was senior Dominic Parolin and junior Tyler Whitney-Sidney, who tallied 13 and 10 points respectively.
Lehigh now looks ahead to Saturday when the Mountain Hawks travel to Baltimore, Maryland to take on UMBC. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. from the Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena.
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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"Credit Saint Francis, they played really hard and it showed primarily on the offensive glass," said head coach Dr. Brett Reed. "Our defensive rebounding percentage was under 50%, you're not going to beat people unless you are willing to be physical."
Lehigh (1-6) and Saint Francis (3-5) are two teams that know each other well, as the Mountain Hawks and Red Flash have faced off in each of the past three seasons. Reed has faced Saint Francis 16 times during his time at Lehigh, posting a record of 11-5 against the Red Flash.
The two teams battled back-and-forth for the entirety of the game, as neither side gained higher than a seven-point advantage. The lead changed hands eight times throughout the game, including when SFU's Cam Gregory knocked down three free throws in the final seconds of the game to secure the Red Flash victory.
A major trend of Wednesday night's game was fouling, as Lehigh committed 20 personal fouls compared to Saint Francis' 23. The Red Flash's prowess on the boards, grabbing 43 as opposed to Lehigh's 35, gave them a significant advantage as well.
Solid defense from both teams was also evident throughout the contest. Lehigh forced 21 turnovers while nabbing nine steals and blocking six shots. Saint Francis did their part on defense as well, forcing 16 turnovers with eight steals and six blocks of their own.
The Mountain Hawks were led by junior Keith Higgins Jr., who posted a season-high of 24 points. Joining Higgins in double-figures was senior Dominic Parolin and junior Tyler Whitney-Sidney, who tallied 13 and 10 points respectively.
Lehigh now looks ahead to Saturday when the Mountain Hawks travel to Baltimore, Maryland to take on UMBC. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. from the Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena.
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
SF-PA
Lehigh
FG%
.382
.333
3FG%
.217
.190
FT%
.714
.704
RB
43
35
TO
21
16
STL
8
9
Game Leaders
Pts
24
FGM
9
3FGM
2
FTM
4
Pts
13
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
6
Pts
10
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
4
FGM
1
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
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