BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Riding momentum with two straight wins, the Lehigh men’s basketball team begins its “second season” on Wednesday when it opens the Patriot League Tournament against Colgate Wednesday night. Tipoff in Stabler Arena is set for 7 p.m. It marks a rematch of last season’s quarterfinal game which Lehigh won, 70-57.
The Mountain Hawks lost three straight close games, beginning with a four-point defeat at Colgate Feb. 16, but have come back with a vengeance, beating Navy and Army in succession to gain momentum heading into the Patriot League Tournament. Lehigh beat the Midshipmen by 29, its largest margin of victory over a Patriot League foe since 1995, before snapping Army’s five-game winning streak by downing the Black Knights, 81-75.
Senior Holden Greiner was the story, especially down the stretch. He finished with 24 points on his Senior Day, the second time eclipsing 20 points in the previous three games. Greiner added a career-high 14 rebounds for his sixth-career double-double. He also posted career highs in assists (5) and steals (4) then was recognized on Monday with First Team All-Patriot League laurels. Junior Mackey McKnight was named to the Second Team as four current Lehigh players have earned All-League honors at some point in their careers (along with seniors Gabe Knutson and C.J. McCollum).
Three other Mountain Hawks finished with double-figure points on Saturday, including a career-high 11 from freshman Justin Goldsborough (in just 15 minutes) and 10 each from junior B.J. Bailey and sophomore Corey Schaefer. Lehigh reached 80 points for only the second time in league play, the other being its road game at Army. Greiner’s double-double marked Lehigh’s first since junior Anthony D’Orazio had 15 points and 10 rebounds in that same 85-76 win on Feb. 3. The Mountain Hawks’ offense has caught fire as of late, shooting 50 percent or higher for three straight games.
The win gave Lehigh 20 victories for the third time in the last four seasons. McKnight dished seven assists to move from seventh into a tie for fourth in single-season school history.
Lehigh begins its quest for a third Patriot League Championship in the last four years. The Mountain Hawks have won a Patriot League Tournament game in each of the last three seasons, going 7-1 in that span. Lehigh is 4-2 all-time against Colgate in the Patriot League Tournament. Last season, the Mountain Hawks topped the Raiders 70-57 before beating American in the semifinals and Bucknell in the Championship Game.
With a win, Lehigh would advance to the Patriot League Semifinals for a fourth straight season. The Mountain Hawks have beaten Colgate three straight times in the Patriot League Tournament.
Colgate has lost six of its last eight coming in, but did pick up big home wins against Lehigh and Navy. Most recently, the Raiders hung tough at Holy Cross before succumbing to the Crusaders, 74-59. The Raiders are 7-5 at home this season and 3-15 on the road. Second Team All-Patriot League honoree Murphy Burnatowski leads the way with 17.2 points along with 5.1 rebounds. Pat Moore averages 10.0 while Brandon James comes in at 8.1 and Mitch Rolls at 7.3. Luke Roh leads the team in assists (105) and rebounding (6.6 average). Five players have started at least 29 of the 31 games this season.
The Raiders lead the all-time series, 48-34 but the Mountain Hawks have won seven of the last 10. Lehigh won four straight by double figures before dropping the last meeting up at Colgate on Feb. 16. The Mountain Hawks were down 22 before pulling even, but the Raiders responded for the 64-60 victory. 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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Date:
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March 6, 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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20-8 overall, 10-4 Patriot League
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Colgate’s Record:
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11-20 overall, 5-9 Patriot League
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Series:
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Colgate leads, 48-34
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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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