2008-09 Men's Basketball schedule announced
Posted: August 31, 2008
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Head coach Brett Reed has announced the Lehigh men’s basketball 2008-09 schedule, which includes 14 home dates, three matchups versus teams that participated in the 2008 postseason, and 14 games against teams that won 15 or more games a season ago.
Lehigh tips its 2008-09 season off on Saturday, November 15 when the Mountain Hawks head to New Jersey to take on St. Peter’s. Reed earned his first head coaching victory versus the Peacocks last November at Stabler Arena.
Delaware State comes to Bethlehem on November 17 for Lehigh’s home opener, while Rider (Nov. 20) and St. Francis (Pa.) (Nov. 24) close out the three-game home stand. Lehigh has not played Rider since the 1989-90 season when it earned a 76-69 victory. The Broncs are coming off a season in which they won 23 games and a share of the MAAC regular season championship. Rider, which returns four of its top five scorers from a year ago, also advanced to the Championship Game of the 2008 MAAC Tournament.
Lehigh won 11 games at home last season, the third highest total in the history of Stabler Arena, and since the start of the 2002-03 season, the Brown and White has won over 75-percent of its home games.
On November 26, the Mountain Hawks head to New Jersey to take on Big East member Rutgers at the RAC, where in 2006 Lehigh gave the Scarlet Knights all they could handle before falling by only six points. A trip to Dartmouth on November 29 closes out the first month of the regular season.
December is highlighted by a visit from Atlantic-10 power St. Joseph’s to Stabler Arena on December 2. This game promises to attract one of the largest crowds in the near-30 year history of Stabler, and will mark only the 13th meeting all-time between these regional foes, and the first matchup since the 1981-82 season. St. Joseph’s won 21 games during the 2007-08 season and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Lehigh travels to Stony Brook on December 5 followed by a home game with Albany on December 8 before taking a break for final exams. On December 21, the Mountain Hawks head to New Jersey for the third of their five trips to the Garden State as they face Monmouth, while two days later, Lehigh will be across the country for a matchup versus the Huskies of Washington out of the Pac-10 Conference.
Lehigh returns to Stabler Arena on December 28 when it welcomes Longwood, while a New Year’s Eve showdown with NJIT is slated for December 31 in New Jersey. The Mountain Hawks ring in the New Year with a pair of games versus Ivy League foes, first hosting Columbia (Jan. 2) followed by a trip to Princeton to take on the Tigers (Jan. 7).
The 2009 Patriot League schedule begins with a trip to the nation’s capital to face the defending league champion American Eagles on January 10 at Bender Arena, while Navy comes to Stabler Arena on January 14 for Lehigh’s league home opener.
Lehigh and Lafayette renew their long-time rivalry on January 24, with the first meeting taking place in Easton, and the return trip slated for February 21 at Stabler Arena. The Mountain Hawks have defeated the Leopards six consecutive times at home.
Games versus Army (Jan. 17), Bucknell (Jan. 28), Holy Cross (Jan. 31), American (Feb. 7) and Colgate (Feb. 18) round out the Mountain Hawks home schedule, while the 2009 Patriot League Tournament will get underway on March 4, followed by the semifinals on March 8 and the championship slated for March 13.
Lehigh returns four starters for the 2008-09 season, including an All-Patriot League selection and the 2008 Patriot League Rookie of the Year.
Lehigh Basketball tickets go on sale beginning October 9. Check back to Lehighsports.com for the latest updates.