Posted: 02/08/2013
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – After a seven-day layoff, the Lehigh women’s basketball team will look to extend a 10-game winning streak over Holy Cross and complete a fifth straight season sweep of the Crusaders inside Stabler Arena on Sunday, February 10. Lehigh will take on Holy Cross in a game to be aired on CBS Sports Network with Bob Socci and Amy Lawrence on the call at 2 p.m.
The Mountain Hawks hung tough against Army on February 2, but a few clutch buckets and free throws down the stretch propelled the Black Knights to a 61-56 victory inside Stabler Arena. Junior Lindsay Hoskins dropped a career-high 18 points on Army, while fellow junior Hilary Weaver tied her season-high with eight assists, but Army put four players in double figures to outscore Lehigh on the night. It was the Mountain Hawks’ fourth straight loss, the longest since a four-game losing streak during the 2010-11 season.
Senior Kelly Peterson scored 10 points against the Black Knights, her first double figure performance since suffering an injury that kept her out for eight games. Peterson is third on the team in scoring, averaging 8.1 points per contest, while sophomore Katie O’Reilly is second, averaging 8.2 ppg. Freshman Kerry Kinek leads the Mountain Hawks with 12.3 ppg and 7.9 rbg. The 6-3 Whitehall native has burst on the collegiate scene and taken the Patriot League by storm, averaging 13.7 ppg against league opponents which is good for fourth in the league.
Now Lehigh will turn its attention to the Crusaders of Holy Cross as it looks for the 11th straight win over the visiting Crusaders and the completion of yet another series sweep. In January, the Crusaders and Mountain Hawks matched up in Worcester, Mass. for the Patriot League opener. After Lehigh built a 12-point first half lead, Holy Cross came roaring back in the second session to knot the game at 65 with just nine seconds remaining. After trouble with the inbound pass, the Mountain Hawks found senior Becky Guman cutting down the near side. After she was stopped on the baseline, Guman was able to find O’Reilly under the basket for the game-winning layup with less than a second to play.
After the win, Lehigh still trails in the all-time series 37-16, as Sundays meeting will be the 54th in program history between the two teams.
Holy Cross will enter Sunday’s game holding an 11-11 mark overall and a 3-4 record in league play. The Crusaders started their Patriot League slate 0-3, but since have bounced back to rattle off a 3-1 record over their last four games. Junior Alex Smith has been the leading scorer for Holy Cross the last three games and 16 times this season.
In its last game against Colgate, Holy Cross improved to 25-0 at the Hart Center against the Raiders with a 71-61 victory. Smith scored 17 as four Crusaders reached double figures en route to the 10-point win.
The Crusaders feature the league’s leading scorer in Smith who is averaging 15.0 ppg and the league’s leading helper in Brisje Malone who averages 4.5 assists per game. Smith is known for her outside shooting as the junior leads the Patriot League in three-point shooting percentage at a 39.7 percent clip and averages a league-best 3.1 treys per game.
Over the last four games for Holy Cross (3-1), the Crusaders have had at least two players in double figures. Those four games have been decided by a combined 23 points, the biggest differential coming in the Crusaders’ 10-point win over Colgate as the average win margin for the victor is 5.8 points.
After Sunday’s game, the Mountain Hawks will hit the road for the first time since January 26 when Lehigh travels to Washington, D.C. to take on American on Wednesday, February 13 for a 7 p.m. tip.
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Date:
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February 10, 2013
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Opponent:
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Holy Cross
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Tip-off:
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2:00 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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10-12 overall, 2-5 Patriot League
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Holy Cross’ Record:
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11-11 overall, 3-4 Patriot League
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Series:
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Holy Cross leads, 37-16
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Radio:
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Live on WLVR 91.3 and Lehighsports.com with Matt Markus Pregame coverage gets underway at 1:45 PM
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Television:
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CBS Sports Network with Bob Socci and Amy Lawrence
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Internet Video:
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None
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Behind Enemy Lines:
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