Courtesy of LehighSports.com
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh men’s basketball team put forth its best defensive effort of the season on Saturday afternoon and came out with a hard-fought 64-58 win over Robert Morris in Stabler Arena. Senior Tim Kempton led the offense with 15 points and 10 rebounds, 12 points and seven boards coming in the second half. Four Lehigh players finished with double-figure points while sophomore Matt Holba put forth a strong all-around effort, recording eight points and eight rebounds to help the Mountain Hawks improve to 2-0 at home this season.
“For a team that wants to compete for championships, it’s impossible to do that unless you can put a stamp and make yourself felt on the defensive end of the floor,” said Lehigh head coach Brett Reed. “Our guys really responded. The number of quality defensive possessions that we had in the second half was incredible. From the way in which we were closing out, containing penetration, providing help, blocking out and being disruptive, that was a major step up for our team. I am very proud of the way they were able to win a game, even in a different way than what we’ve been accustomed to.”
With his 15 points, Kempton moved into ninth place in Lehigh history with 1,539 career points. After beginning the day 27th in Patriot League history, he moved all the way to 22nd. The double-double was his fourth of the season and 37th of his career. Junior Kahron Ross and sophomore Kyle Leufroy each scored 11 points while senior Austin Price tallied 10, along with a career-high tying seven assists.
“Tim is a tremendous player,” said Reed. “He has not only make his mark by scoring the basketball, but as his career has progressed, he’s done it with rebounds as well. That guy’s been an anchor for us in a big way. We hope that his sense of urgency continues. He’s going to continue to make his mark on the record books. We really want him to leave his legacy as a champion within this program. I certainly hope he embraces that completely.”
The teams went back and forth in the early going with four ties before either team reached 10 points. Leading 14-13, the Mountain Hawks used an 8-0 run, which included three-pointers from Kempton and freshman Jordan Cohen, and a Price layup, to give Lehigh a 22-13 lead with 10:09 on the first-half clock.
Robert Morris responded by immediately staging a 9-0 run to pull even, eventually extending its run to 17-2 after a Billy Giles jumper gave the Colonials a 30-24 lead with 2:40 left in the first half. Ross knocked down a three-pointer in the final seconds of the half, ending Lehigh’s drought of 10:05 without a field goal and giving the Mountain Hawks much-needed momentum heading into halftime.
A few minutes into the second half, Lehigh used a mini 5-0 run to turn a four-point deficit into a one-point lead as Price knocked down a trey to give the Mountain Hawks a 37-36 advantage. Robert Morris quickly answered and held a lead for the middle stages of the second half.
Lehigh took a lead for good with less than five minutes remaining. Kempton converted a three-point play to even the score at 50 with 5:25 on the clock, then he hit one-of-two free throws with 4:11 remaining. A Ross layup on a nifty feed from Kempton preceded a highlight-reel dunk from Kempton, giving the Mountain Hawks a 55-50 lead with 2:25 remaining.
The Colonials pulled as close as two in the final minute, but the Mountain Hawks hit their free throws down the stretch to wrap up the victory.
For the game, Lehigh shot 42 percent from the field (23-of-55), including 33 percent from three-point range (5-of-15). Robert Morris finished at 46 percent (24-of-52) and 36 percent from long distance (5-of-14). The Mountain Hawks were 13-of-17 from the free throw line compared to the Colonials’ 5-of-5. Lehigh held a 33-30 edge in rebounds.
The Mountain Hawks hit the road for their next two games, beginning on Tuesday at Stony Brook. Lehigh will return home on Monday, Dec. 12 to host Saint Francis (Pa.) at 7 p.m. Tickets are available and can be purchased online.
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