Wednesday, March 13
Hamilton, N.Y.
7 p.m.
Lehigh University
14-18,9-9Patriot
55
at
74
Colgate University
25-9,16-2Patriot
1
2
F
Lehigh
26
29
55
Colgate
45
29
74
Photo by: Hannahally Photography
#6 Lehigh Bested By #1 Colgate 74-55 In Patriot League Tournament Championship
3/13/2024 10:23:00 PM | Men's Basketball
HAMILTON, N.Y. – All eyes turned to Cotterell Court on Wednesday evening for the Patriot League Tournament Championship between the #6 Lehigh Mountain Hawks and the #1 Colgate Raiders. Colgate earned their fourth consecutive league title by way of a 74-55 victory on their home court.
"You've got to give Colgate credit, they played really well and have an interior punch," said head coach Dr. Brett Reed. "We just weren't as strong as we needed to be to be able to stem the tide and give us a better chance without the game separating as much as it did."
Lehigh (14-18) came within one win of a title after defeating rival #3 Lafayette in the quarterfinals and #2 Boston U. in a thrilling comeback win. The Mountain Hawks fell to Colgate (25-9) in the league championship after dropping both regular season contests to the Raiders by a combined six points.
The Mountain Hawks were without starting center Dominic Parolin, who sustained an injury in the previous game against Boston U. It was clear that the Raiders, who boast an experienced and talented frontcourt, looked to attack the paint early and often. Colgate outscored Lehigh in the paint 46-32 in the game. Their presence in the paint combined with an overall efficient first half (59.4% from the field) allowed the Raiders to take a 19-point lead into halftime.
Colgate's defensive prowess was also critical to their success. The Raiders held the Mountain Hawks to 36.5% (23-63) from the field and 17.8% (5-28) from three in the game. Lehigh and Colgate tied 29-29 in the second half, but the lead that the Raiders gained in the opening frame proved to be too much to overcome.
Guard Brady Cummins led Colgate with 19 points on an efficient 8-9 from the field. He was joined in double figures by Patriot League Player of the Year and Tournament MVP Braeden Smith, who tallied 15 points and a game-high 12 rebounds on the night. Center Jeff Woodward also reached double figures with 11 points off the bench.
Leading the charge for the Mountain Hawks was first-year Nasir Whitlock, who posted a new career-high of 17 points on an efficient 7-11 from the field. Senior Burke Chebuhar led the team with six boards while first-year Cam Gillus posted a team-best three assists.
"On a night where we struggled to score, it was nice to get some scoring punch, and [Nasir] was able to provide that," said Reed. "It was nice to see him step forward, make some of those plays, make some of those shots, and give us that offensive boost."
Gillus and junior Tyler Whitney-Sidney were named to the Patriot League All-Tournament team for their efforts in the past three games. Whitney-Sidney averaged 15.7 points on 40.0% from three and 88.2% from the free throw line while Gillus posted averages of 14.3 points and 3.0 assists on 53.8% from both the field and from three during the tournament.
Like Lehigh men's basketball on Facebook, follow on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
2024 PenFed Credit Union Patriot League Men's Basketball Most Valuable Player
Braeden Smith, Colgate, So., G
Â
2024 PenFed Credit Union Patriot League Men's Basketball All-Tournament Team
Braeden Smith, Colgate, So., G
Jeff Woodward, Colgate, Sr., F
Keegan Records, Colgate, 5th-year, F
Brady Cummins, Colgate, So., G
Tyler Whitney-Sidney, Lehigh, Jr., G
Cam Gillus, Lehigh, Fy., G
Noah Williamson, Bucknell, So., C
Â
"You've got to give Colgate credit, they played really well and have an interior punch," said head coach Dr. Brett Reed. "We just weren't as strong as we needed to be to be able to stem the tide and give us a better chance without the game separating as much as it did."
Lehigh (14-18) came within one win of a title after defeating rival #3 Lafayette in the quarterfinals and #2 Boston U. in a thrilling comeback win. The Mountain Hawks fell to Colgate (25-9) in the league championship after dropping both regular season contests to the Raiders by a combined six points.
The Mountain Hawks were without starting center Dominic Parolin, who sustained an injury in the previous game against Boston U. It was clear that the Raiders, who boast an experienced and talented frontcourt, looked to attack the paint early and often. Colgate outscored Lehigh in the paint 46-32 in the game. Their presence in the paint combined with an overall efficient first half (59.4% from the field) allowed the Raiders to take a 19-point lead into halftime.
Colgate's defensive prowess was also critical to their success. The Raiders held the Mountain Hawks to 36.5% (23-63) from the field and 17.8% (5-28) from three in the game. Lehigh and Colgate tied 29-29 in the second half, but the lead that the Raiders gained in the opening frame proved to be too much to overcome.
Guard Brady Cummins led Colgate with 19 points on an efficient 8-9 from the field. He was joined in double figures by Patriot League Player of the Year and Tournament MVP Braeden Smith, who tallied 15 points and a game-high 12 rebounds on the night. Center Jeff Woodward also reached double figures with 11 points off the bench.
Leading the charge for the Mountain Hawks was first-year Nasir Whitlock, who posted a new career-high of 17 points on an efficient 7-11 from the field. Senior Burke Chebuhar led the team with six boards while first-year Cam Gillus posted a team-best three assists.
"On a night where we struggled to score, it was nice to get some scoring punch, and [Nasir] was able to provide that," said Reed. "It was nice to see him step forward, make some of those plays, make some of those shots, and give us that offensive boost."
Gillus and junior Tyler Whitney-Sidney were named to the Patriot League All-Tournament team for their efforts in the past three games. Whitney-Sidney averaged 15.7 points on 40.0% from three and 88.2% from the free throw line while Gillus posted averages of 14.3 points and 3.0 assists on 53.8% from both the field and from three during the tournament.
Like Lehigh men's basketball on Facebook, follow on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
2024 PenFed Credit Union Patriot League Men's Basketball Most Valuable Player
Braeden Smith, Colgate, So., G
Â
2024 PenFed Credit Union Patriot League Men's Basketball All-Tournament Team
Braeden Smith, Colgate, So., G
Jeff Woodward, Colgate, Sr., F
Keegan Records, Colgate, 5th-year, F
Brady Cummins, Colgate, So., G
Tyler Whitney-Sidney, Lehigh, Jr., G
Cam Gillus, Lehigh, Fy., G
Noah Williamson, Bucknell, So., C
Â
Team Stats
Lehigh
Colg
FG%
.365
.556
3FG%
.179
.211
FT%
.444
.625
RB
27
43
TO
7
12
STL
6
3
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
17
FGM
7
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
7
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Pts
7
FGM
2
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
F
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