Posted: 01/18/2013 | Last updated: January 19, 2013 at 09:17 PM
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Following a gritty win at American Wednesday night, the Lehigh men’s basketball team returns home to host Colgate Saturday at 7 p.m. The Mountain Hawks are 2-0 in league play for the first time in six seasons. Lehigh has used a balanced team effort as of late to win three in a row after losing senior C.J. McCollum to a foot injury.
Lehigh fell down 23-9 midway through the first half, but responded with a 24-5 run over the final 9:08 and give the Mountain Hawks a 31-28 lead after 20 minutes of play. Senior Holden Greiner impressed offensively, scoring a game-high 22 points on 10-of-13 shooting, his second career 20+ point game and just two shy of his career high (24 at Michigan State). He scored 16 in the first half on a perfect 7-of-7 shooting.
Junior Mackey McKnight was stellar as well, finishing with 11 points, a team-high six rebounds, five assists and four steals (to tie a career high for a second straight game). Perhaps most impressively, McKnight didn’t turn the ball over in 34 minutes of action. The other seven Mountain Hawks (who played) all contributed in a variety of ways. Junior B.J. Bailey scored six points while making one of the game’s biggest defensive plays with just over 30 seconds remaining and the Eagles down three. Sophomore Stefan Cvrkalj scored five straight points as part of Lehigh’s second-half run, junior Anthony D’Orazio added five as well while sophomore Conroy Baltimore grabbed five rebounds in only nine minutes of action.
The Mountain Hawks improved to 2-0 in Patriot League play for the first time in six years (2006-07) when they defeated American and Navy to begin league play. Lehigh snapped a two-game losing streak at American and won at Bender Arena for the first time since Feb. 6, 2010.
Lehigh’s defense has continued to impress. Through the first 12 games, the fewest points it allowed was 62 (to Fairleigh Dickinson). Since, the Mountain Hawks have allowed fewer than that in each of the last four games: 59 at VCU, 46 vs. Muhlenberg, 47 against Holy Cross and 57 at American. Lehigh recorded a season-high 13 steals at American Wednesday, one game after setting a season high with 11 vs. Holy Cross.
The Mountain Hawks swept last year’s season-series with Colgate (3-0) after the Raiders won both meetings in 2010-11.
Colgate enters with a 6-12 record, 0-2 in Patriot League play. The Raiders have been extremely competitive, dropping their first two league games to American (72-63) and Bucknell (73-59). Colgate wrapped up nonleague play by winning three of its last four: vs. Binghamton (74-47), New Hampshire (65-63) and at Dartmouth (78-62). The Raiders’ other wins have come over Marist, Coppin State and Saint Francis (Pa.). Maine transfer Murphy Burnatowski leads the team in scoring (17.3 points per game) while Pat Moore averages 10.6, Brandon James 7.9 and Mitch Rolls 7.0. Guard Luke Roh leads the team in rebounding (6.3) while also chipping in 5.3 points per contest. Colgate has had the same starting lineup for all 18 of its games thus far: Rolls, Roh, Moore, Burnatowski and John Brandenburg.
Colgate leads the all-time series 47-33, but the Mountain Hawks have won three in a row (all coming last season). Lehigh won all three meetings by double figures, including a 70-57 win in the Patriot League Quarterfinals last Feb. 29. The sides first met during the 1909-10 season, a 25-24 Colgate victory, before reconvening in 1959-60. Lehigh’s first win was in 1961-62 by a 72-71 final.
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Individual and season tickets are on sale and may be purchased on Lehighsports.com, over the phone (610-758-4263) or in-person at Stabler Arena, Monday-through-Friday between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.
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Date:
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January 19, 2013
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Opponent:
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Colgate Raiders
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Tip-off:
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7:00 PM
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Arena/Capacity:
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Stabler Arena/5,600
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Location:
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Bethlehem, Pa.
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Lehigh’s Record:
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12-4 overall, 2-0 Patriot League
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Colgate’s Record:
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6-12, 0-2 Patriot League
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Series:
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Colgate leads, 47-33
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Radio:
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Live on ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 AM and Lehighsports.com with Matt Kerr and Greg Falkenbach ‘72. Pregame coverage gets underway at 6:30 PM
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Television:
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Service Electric 2 Sports
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Internet Video:
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Behind Enemy Lines:
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