Thursday, December 18
Hamden, Conn.
7:00 pm

Lehigh University

at

Quinnipiac

Men's Basketball Team

Lehigh travels to Quinnipiac Thursday looking to extend winning streak

12/16/2014 3:13:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Game Notes | Watch Live | Listen Live | Live Stats
 
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Following a 12-day break from games for final exams, the Lehigh men's basketball team returns to action looking for its fifth straight win as the Mountain Hawks travel to Quinnipiac on Thursday. Opening tipoff is set for 7 p.m. Lehigh looks to repeat the fortunes of last season when the squad topped the Bobcats on Dec. 21 by a 69-58 final, which was its fifth win in a row.
 
After dropping their first four games, the Mountain Hawks have responded with a vengeance, topping Big East foe DePaul 86-74 on Thanksgiving Eve then beating Penn State Mont Alto, Saint Francis (Pa.) and LIU Brooklyn to even their record to 4-4. Last time out, Lehigh ended the first half on an 11-0 run to take a lead it wouldn't relinquish. Freshman Kahron Ross scored a career-high 19 points, including 13 in the second half while knocking down a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line in the final 34 seconds. Sophomore Miles Simelton also tallied a career-high ten points (eight in the first half) while tying a career-high three steals. Junior Justin Goldsborough posted his first-career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. He was 2-for-3 from the field while also adding a career-high four assists and tying career highs in rebounds and blocks (3). Goldsborough was 9-for-10 from the free throw line in a career-high 34 minutes.
 
Five Mountain Hawks reached double-figure points for the first time since last February 19 against Navy. Sophomore Austin Price scored 11 points while senior Corey Schaefer had ten (seven in the second half). LIU Brooklyn pulled as close as four with just over five minutes remaining, but the Mountain Hawks immediately answered with a 6-0 run.
 
Sophomore Tim Kempton leads the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging 13.3 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, respectively. Price is second with a 12.6 scoring average while Ross is up to 8.1 points per game and freshman Brandon Alston averages 6.9. Quinnipiac is historically one of the nation's top rebounding teams and it has continued this season. The Bobcats are averaging 45.5 boards per game and own a plus 13.9 margin, which is good for fourth in the nation. They are 3-5 on the young season, coming off a road loss at Patriot League foe Boston University on Sunday. Thursday's matchup features the #7 and 8 teams in the nation in free throw percentage.
 
Thursday marks the beginning of a three-day stretch. After a travel day on Friday, Lehigh plays at Arizona State Saturday, the Mountain Hawks' third BCS Conference opponent so far this season. The Mountain Hawks are 1-1 over the first tow games, falling to Villanova and beating DePaul, both out of the Big East (see page two for notes on Lehigh's success versus the Big East this season). The Sun Devils are Lehigh's second opponent coming off an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2013-14.
 
Quinnipiac is 3-5 this season, sporting an impressive season-opening win over Yale in double overtime while also topping Albany and Vermont. The Bobcats have lost three straight coming in, including a pair of MAAC games against Siena and Fairfield and a Sunday loss at Patriot League foe Boston University. Quinnipiac is fourth nationally in rebounding margin (+13.9), seventh in free throw percentage (.771) and 22nd in blocks per game (5.9). Zaid Hearst leads the team in scoring (18.9 points per game) while Ousmane Drame has averaged 14.8 points and a team-leading 10.8 boards per game. Evan Harris is next with a 10.5 scoring average while Justin Harris has grabbed 7.3 rebounds per game to go with his 7.8 points per contest.
 
Lehigh leads the all-time series with Quinnipiac, 4-3. The Mountain Hawks have won three straight, including a 69-58 victory last season. Lehigh won the last meeting in Hamden, Connecticut by a 77-66 final when C.J. McCollum scored 14 straight points to turn a late one-point deficit into a double-digit victory. The Bobcats' last win was on Dec. 7, 2010 at Quinnipiac by an 84-78 final.
 
The Mountain Hawks return to action on Saturday when they travel to Arizona State to face the Sun Devils out of the Pac-12 Conference. Opening tipoff is set for 9 p.m. ET (7 p.m. locally) on the Pac-12 Network
 
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Date:December 18, 2014
Opponent:Quinnipiac Bobcats
Tip-off:7:00 PM
Arena/Capacity:TD Bank Sports Center/3,570
Location:Hamden, Conn.
Lehigh's Record:4-4, 0-0 Patriot League  
Quinnipiac's Record:3-5, 0-2 MAAC
Series:Lehigh leads, 4-3
Radio:Live on ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 AM and Lehighsports.com with Tom Fallon. Pregame coverage gets underway at 1:30 PM
Television:None
Internet Video:Through Quinnipiac
Behind Enemy Lines:Quinnipiac Official Website

Players Mentioned

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