Courtesy of LehighSports.com
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh men’s basketball team jumped out to a first-half lead and wouldn’t trail for the game’s final 35:02 as the Mountain Hawks topped Lafayette, 73-61 on Senior Day, Sunday in Stabler Arena. Junior Tim Kempton led Lehigh with 16 points and a career-high tying 15 rebounds for his fourth double-double in the last five games while sophomore Kahron Ross tallied 11 points and 12 assists, compared to just one turnover. With the win, Lehigh improves to 11-5 in Patriot League play, standing all alone in second place in the standings with two regular season games remaining.
Sunday marked Senior Day as Devon Carter, John Ross Glover, Jesse Chuku, Justin Goldsborough and senior team manager Daphnee McMaster were recognized prior to opening tipoff.
“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” said Lehigh head coach Brett Reed. “We were able to maintain just enough of a cushion. It got sticky at times, but I was really pleased when in the second half, we worked for a little bit better execution and the ball went from side to side. Devon (Carter) hit a jump shot, Justin (Goldsborough) had a nice-post up. It settled us down a little bit when we needed it.”
Kempton finished the afternoon 6-of-8 shooting while Ross’ double-double was his first of the season and fifth of his career. Kempton’s double-double was his ninth of the season and 29th of his career. With his season-high tying 12 assists, Ross also moved from seventh to fifth place in Lehigh history for assists in a season, currently owning 159. Freshman Kyle Leufroy added 13 points, including a perfect 2-of-2 from three-point range, while Chuku recorded 10 points and eight boards. Carter also enjoyed a strong game with seven points, five rebounds, an assist and steal while Goldsborough had seven points on 3-of-4 shooting along with four rebounds. Junior Austin Price finished with nine points.
“You need your good players to show up this time of year,” said Reed. “Tim rebounded for us; he’s a very good player and for him to go 6-of-8 from the floor and to see the type contributions that Kahron Ross had for us with 12 assists and just one turnover, those are two guys who are cornerstones for us and are doing important things.”
Lafayette jumped out to a quick 6-2 lead less than two minutes into the game, but a Chuku three-pointer pulled the Mountain Hawks within 6-5. The teams went back and forth over the ensuing minutes until Lehigh staged a 9-0 run to break an 11-11 tie and take a 20-11 advantage with 10:34 on the first-half clock. The run began with a Ross jumper and included four points from Kempton and a Leufroy three-pointer.
The Leopards pulled within eight, but the Mountain Hawks extended their lead to 13 behind a mini 5-0 surge as a jumper and three free throws gave Lehigh a 26-13 lead with 7:55 on the clock.
Lafayette pulled back within nine at 26-17, but the Mountain Hawks scored 10 of the next 13 points as a layup from Price gave Lehigh a 36-20 lead with 1:48 remaining in the first.
The Leopards answered by scoring eight of the final 10 first-half points as a Nick Lindner three-pointer as the first-half buzzer expired pulled Lafayette within 38-28 after 20 minutes of play.
Lafayette began the second half by scoring seven of the first 11 points to pull within six at 41-35 with 17:33 on the clock. Leading 47-38, Lehigh scored five straight points, all from seniors, as Carter knocked down a three-pointer and Goldsborough hit a short jumper with 12:00left in the second half, giving Lehigh a 52-38 advantage.
Lehigh maintained at least a nine-point lead over the ensuing minutes, extending its advantage to 13 following two Leufroy free throws with4:44 remaining. Lafayette made one last push in the final minutes, getting as close as six, but the Mountain Hawks hit four free throws down the stretch to win, 73-61, marking their first regular season sweep of Lafayette since the 2011-12 campaign.
Lehigh finished the day shooting 48 percent from the field (27-of-56), including 35 percent from three-point range (6-of-17). Lafayette shot 36 percent (24-of-66) and 30 percent from long distance (9-of-30). Lehigh finished with a dominant 45-33 edge in rebounds.
The Mountain Hawks now hit the road for their final two games of the regular season, traveling to Colgate on Wednesday (7 p.m.) and Army West Point on Saturday (12 p.m.).
OTHER GAMES IN THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
Colgate 93 Loyola (Md) 90 OT
After Loyola drained a 3-pointer with 2.9 seconds remaining to knot the score in overtime at 90-90, Austin Tillotson threw up a heave from half-court that sailed in to lift Colgate Men’s Basketball past the Greyhounds 93-90 in unbelievable fashion. READ MORE.
Bucknell 80 Boston U 59
Bison seniors Chris Hass (21 points, four rebounds, three assists), Dom Hoffman (career-high 15 points, career-high-tying nine rebounds, career-high five assists) and Ryan Frazier(16 points, two assists) all had massive games, combining for 52 of the team’s 80 points, including 22 of the team’s 26 in the late stages of the second half. READ MORE.
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