Posted: 02/09/2012 | Last updated: February 9, 2012 at 06:29 PM
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – After suffering a tough loss Wednesday, the Lehigh women’s basketball team (13-10, 6-3 PL) will look to turn things around Saturday when the Mountain Hawks travel to take on Colgate (5-19, 2-7 PL) at 4 p.m. Lehigh won the first meeting earlier this season in a thrilling double-overtime game and the Mountain Hawks will be looking for their 14th straight victory over Colgate. Saturday’s game will be televised on Time Warner Cable Sports, shown live in Central and Northern New York and the Binghamton Area.
The game can also be seen in the Rochester, Buffalo and Albany markets on tape delay.
Lehigh is coming off a 67-50 loss to first-place American Wednesday. Seniors Alexa Williams and Emily Gratch combined for 29 points on 10-of-18 shooting and accounted for all of Lehigh’s first half points, but it wasn’t enough as American pulled away in the second half. Williams led the way with 16 points and eight rebounds while Gratch added 13 points and tied her season-high of 11 rebounds for her third double-double of the season.
The Mountain Hawks have been led by Williams and Gratch throughout the season and league play. Williams leads the team in points, rebounds, blocks and steals. Her 12.2 points per game rank sixth in the league while her 9.1 rebounds are first. She also ranks fifth in blocked shots (1.4), sixth in steals (1.6) and seventh in field goal percentage (43.0). In nine league games, she has averaged 14.7 points and 8.7 rebounds. She has the second most double-doubles in the league with six as Williams has scored in double figures in nine of her last 11 games.
The Mountain Hawks now sit in a three-way tie for second place with Army and Navy.
Lehigh will be taking on a Colgate team that is tied for sixth in the league, but both of the Raiders’ league wins have come at home.
Colgate is coming off a 67-45 loss at Bucknell Wednesday as the Raiders were held to 27 percent shooting from the field while allowing the Bison to shoot 42 percent and Colgate was dominated on the glass 58-33.
Colgate was led by Jhazmine Lynch’s 15 points, eight rebounds and six assists while Kelly Korkowski and Missy Repoli each added eight points.
The Raiders have been led this season by Lynch who is second in the league averaging 14.2 points per game. She also ranks second in free-throw percentage (75.0) and fourth in steals (2.1).
Tricia Oakes is second on the team in scoring, averaging 9.5 points per game and averages a team-leading 6.1 rebounds, which ranks ninth in the league. She ranks second in field goal percentage (50.7) and seventh in blocked shots (1.2).
Saturday’s game will match up the league’s top two free-throw shooting teams as Colgate (72.4) ranks right behind Lehigh (72.5). It will also match one of the league’s best scoring offenses in Lehigh (63.2 points in league games) against the league’s worst defense in Colgate which has allowed 66.8 points in league games.
Saturday will also mark will be the 53rd meeting between the two schools as Lehigh holds the 31-21 all-time edge including 13 straight victories. Lehigh last fell to Colgate on February 1st, 2006 in a 71-69 overtime loss in Hamilton, N.Y.
In the first meeting between the schools this season, Lehigh edged out Colgate in an 85-82 double-overtime thriller. Freshman Katie O’Reilly had the game-winning layup with 24 seconds left while Williams came up with a block on the other end to seal the victory. The game featured 14 ties and 13 lead changes.
Saturday’s game will also be Colgate’s pink game as part of the WBCA’s “Play 4Kay” initiative.
Lehigh returns home Wednesday to host Bucknell at 7 p.m.
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Date:
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February 11, 2012
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Opponent:
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Colgate Raiders
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Tip-off:
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4:00 PM
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Arena/Capacity:
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Cotterell Court/3,000
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Location:
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Hamilton, N.Y.
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Lehigh’s Record:
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13-10 overall, 6-3 Patriot League
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Colgate’s Record:
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5-19 overall, 2-7 Patriot League
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Series:
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Lehigh leads 31-21
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TV:
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Time Warner Cable - Steve Flamisch and Samantha Berdinka
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Internet TV:
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http://www.patriotleague.org/allaccess/?media=287331
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Radio:
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WLVR 91.3 FM with Matt Markus beginning at 2:45 p.m.
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Listen online:
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client.stretchinternet.com/client/lehigh.portal#
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Live Stats
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http://www.sidearmstats.com/colgate/wbball/index.htm
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Behind Enemy Lines:
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Not by a computer?
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