Saturday, December 9
Bethlehem, Pa.
2:00 PM
Lehigh University
2-7,0-0Patriot
88
vs
33
Cairn University
6-3,2-1United East
1
2
F
Cairn
17
16
33
Lehigh
50
38
88
Photo by: Clark Boinis
Mountain Hawks Stifle Cairn In 88-33 Victory
12/9/2023 6:11:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Points came in bunches on Saturday afternoon for Lehigh men's basketball, as the team played host to Division-III side Cairn University. The Mountain Hawks came away with a stifling 88-33 victory, marking the second consecutive game that Lehigh has scored 87 or more points.
"It was a good confidence boost for our guys," said head coach Dr. Brett Reed following the win. "They've played a tough schedule, and it's nice to see some things roll their way."
Lehigh (2-7) and Cairn (6-3) faced off once before in 2019, resulting in an 80-43 win for the Mountain Hawks. Tonight's 33 points allowed are the lowest amount conceded by Lehigh throughout Reed's 17 seasons as head coach.
The Mountain Hawks got the scoring started early and often, taking a 50-17 lead into the locker room after the opening stanza. Lehigh's prowess on the glass (26-13) provided them ample opportunities to score in the first half, evidenced by the team's 54.1% shooting percentage in the frame.
Momentum gained in the first half by Lehigh was carried into the second with ease, as the Mountain Hawks once again outscored their adversary and held the Highlanders to only 16 points. The combination of stringent defensive and effective offense allowed Lehigh to claim its second win of the 2023-24 season.
Lehigh outrebounded Cairn 56-31 for the whole game in what was truly an all-around effort by the Mountain Hawks. Out of the 15 players who recorded minutes for Lehigh, each of them hauled in at least one rebound, with six players grabbing five or more boards on the day.
Lehigh's 24 assists are the most that the team has had in a game this season. Senior Jalin Sinclair orchestrated the Mountain Hawk offense to perfection, tallying a season-high seven assists in only 17 minutes of action.
Junior Keith Higgins Jr. led the charge with 19 points on an efficient 8-10 shooting from the field. Higgins knocked down three triples as well to help him lead the Mountain Hawks in scoring for the fifth time in Lehigh's nine games played.
Junior Tyler Whitney-Sidney also enjoyed an efficient day from the floor, shooting 6-7 to record 15 points in only 18 minutes of play. This was the third time that Whitney-Sidney has shot 72% or higher from the floor while playing inside Stabler Arena this season.
"I really thought our guard play in that starting unit was really good," said Reed. "[Jalin] helped control tempo, Keith knocked down shots, and Tyler was getting his easy opportunities. It was nice to have those guys put up so many points in such a short period of time."
Lehigh's third leading scorer and breakout performer in Saturday's contest was first-year Joshua Ingram, who tallied a career-high 14 points on 6-9 from the field. The rookie out of Metuchen, New Jersey caught fire in the first half, scoring 10 consecutive points for the Mountain Hawks to help solidify the halftime lead.
"For [Josh] to be able to see the ball go through the basket is going to be a big step for him," said Reed. "He's been really good for us in practice, has shown those flashes of him being able to create and score, and I think everybody who was watching got to see that versatility."
"I feel like I was letting the game come to me," said Ingram. "I took what the defense gave me. The confidence grew after that… It gave me more confidence seeing the two threes go in today, so I was able to play off that and play free."
Two other Mountain Hawks reached double-figures in the win, those being sophomore Bube Momah and first-year Nasir Whitlock. Momah scored 11 points with six rebounds and three steals while knocking down his second three-pointer of the season. Whitlock reached a career-high of 11 points while hauling in six rebounds of his own to go along with four assists.
Lehigh will have nearly two weeks in between Saturday's win and their next game, which is scheduled for December 21 against Boston College. The Mountain Hawks will tip-off against the Eagles at 6 p.m. in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.
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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"It was a good confidence boost for our guys," said head coach Dr. Brett Reed following the win. "They've played a tough schedule, and it's nice to see some things roll their way."
Lehigh (2-7) and Cairn (6-3) faced off once before in 2019, resulting in an 80-43 win for the Mountain Hawks. Tonight's 33 points allowed are the lowest amount conceded by Lehigh throughout Reed's 17 seasons as head coach.
The Mountain Hawks got the scoring started early and often, taking a 50-17 lead into the locker room after the opening stanza. Lehigh's prowess on the glass (26-13) provided them ample opportunities to score in the first half, evidenced by the team's 54.1% shooting percentage in the frame.
Momentum gained in the first half by Lehigh was carried into the second with ease, as the Mountain Hawks once again outscored their adversary and held the Highlanders to only 16 points. The combination of stringent defensive and effective offense allowed Lehigh to claim its second win of the 2023-24 season.
Lehigh outrebounded Cairn 56-31 for the whole game in what was truly an all-around effort by the Mountain Hawks. Out of the 15 players who recorded minutes for Lehigh, each of them hauled in at least one rebound, with six players grabbing five or more boards on the day.
Lehigh's 24 assists are the most that the team has had in a game this season. Senior Jalin Sinclair orchestrated the Mountain Hawk offense to perfection, tallying a season-high seven assists in only 17 minutes of action.
Junior Keith Higgins Jr. led the charge with 19 points on an efficient 8-10 shooting from the field. Higgins knocked down three triples as well to help him lead the Mountain Hawks in scoring for the fifth time in Lehigh's nine games played.
Junior Tyler Whitney-Sidney also enjoyed an efficient day from the floor, shooting 6-7 to record 15 points in only 18 minutes of play. This was the third time that Whitney-Sidney has shot 72% or higher from the floor while playing inside Stabler Arena this season.
"I really thought our guard play in that starting unit was really good," said Reed. "[Jalin] helped control tempo, Keith knocked down shots, and Tyler was getting his easy opportunities. It was nice to have those guys put up so many points in such a short period of time."
Lehigh's third leading scorer and breakout performer in Saturday's contest was first-year Joshua Ingram, who tallied a career-high 14 points on 6-9 from the field. The rookie out of Metuchen, New Jersey caught fire in the first half, scoring 10 consecutive points for the Mountain Hawks to help solidify the halftime lead.
"For [Josh] to be able to see the ball go through the basket is going to be a big step for him," said Reed. "He's been really good for us in practice, has shown those flashes of him being able to create and score, and I think everybody who was watching got to see that versatility."
"I feel like I was letting the game come to me," said Ingram. "I took what the defense gave me. The confidence grew after that… It gave me more confidence seeing the two threes go in today, so I was able to play off that and play free."
Two other Mountain Hawks reached double-figures in the win, those being sophomore Bube Momah and first-year Nasir Whitlock. Momah scored 11 points with six rebounds and three steals while knocking down his second three-pointer of the season. Whitlock reached a career-high of 11 points while hauling in six rebounds of his own to go along with four assists.
Lehigh will have nearly two weeks in between Saturday's win and their next game, which is scheduled for December 21 against Boston College. The Mountain Hawks will tip-off against the Eagles at 6 p.m. in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.
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
Cairn
Lehigh
FG%
.234
.486
3FG%
.120
.313
FT%
.000
.600
RB
31
56
TO
15
9
STL
4
8
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
19
FGM
8
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Pts
15
FGM
6
3FGM
2
FTM
1
Pts
14
FGM
6
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
G
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