March 10, 2010

Center Valley, Pa. - There's going to be a lot more than bragging rights on the line as nearby rivals square off for the 2010 Patriot League Men's Basketball Championship when No. 3 seed Lafayette visits No. 1 Lehigh on Friday at 4:45 p.m. on ESPN2. The winner earns the Patriot League's automatic berth to the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship, with the full field announced on Sunday at 6 p.m. on CBS.

Patriot League Men's Basketball Championship Preview - 3.10.10

The schools separated by about 15 minutes of driving time will match up for the League title for the first time. No. 1 Lehigh advanced to the Championship of the 2010 Patriot League Tournament by defeating No. 8 Army in the quarterfinals on March 3 and No. 4 American, 79-57, in Sundays' semifinals, while No. 3 Lafayette made it here by knocking off No. 6 Colgate, 73-65, in the quarterfinals and No. 7 Holy Cross, 66-63, in a competitive semifinal game on Sunday.

Lafayette returns to the League Championship game for the first time since 2000, and fourth overall. The Leopards went in three straight seasons from 1998-2000, falling to Navy in 1998 before winning consecutive titles over Bucknell in 1999 and Navy in 2000. Lehigh has only made it to the Patriot League Championship once, winning its lone title over American, 59-57, in 2004.

Lafayette and Lehigh are meeting in the Patriot League Tournament for just the fourth time, and first in the Championship game. Lehigh defeated Lafayette in the League's first year, 69-65, in the quarterfinals in 1991. The Mountain Hawks also scored an 83-71 win in the quarterfinals in 2001, while Lafayette notched a 66-60 victory over Lehigh in the semifinals in 2000 on the way to the League title.

The series has been competitive in recent seasons, with the teams splitting their two matchups in each of the past four years. Each squad scored a convincing win at home this year, with Lehigh winning, 75-57, on Jan. 23 and Lafayette returning the favor with a 90-75 victory on Feb. 21. The Leopards have won the rematch in each of the last four seasons.

Lehigh's home-court edge could be important based on its success this season and Patriot League history in the title game. The Mountain Hawks are 14-2 at Stabler Arena this year, including 8-1 against League foes. The home team is 14-4 in the Patriot League Championship, and the No. 1 seed has won the crown 15 times in 19 years. Lafayette is trying to become the first No. 3 seed to win the title.

Patriot League Championship Notebook

Patriot League Championship on ESPN2 Again
The Patriot League Men's Basketball Championship remains in its now customary time slot on ESPN2 on Friday at 4:45 p.m. Jon Sciambi will handle the play-by-play from Stabler Arena, while LaPhonso Ellis has the color commentary.

Championship Tickets Available
Tickets are available through both Lehigh and Lafayette for the title game. Ticket prices are set at $16 for adults and $8 for senior citizens and students. Visit www.patriotleague.org for more information.

Can No. 1 Win it All Again?
Lehigh has already lived up to the first line of history for No. 1 seeds in the Patriot League Tournament, as the top seed has now made it to the final in all 20 of the League's seasons. Now, the Mountain Hawks are trying to become the 16th No. 1 seed to win the crown. The No. 1 seed has won the title in each of the last four seasons and six of the past seven years. Lehigh won its title as a No. 1 seed in 2004.

Home Court Helps, Too
Part of the success of No. 1 seeds in the Patriot League Championship is due to home-court advantage, with the home team holding a 14-4 record in the League title game. After the visitor won in 1991 and 1993, the home squad has a 14-2 record in League title games in the past 16 seasons, with the only losses coming by American in 2002 and Holy Cross in 2005. Home court could be especially important for Lehigh this year, as the Mountain Hawks are 14-2 at Stabler Arena and have won seven of the last eight matchups in Bethlehem against Lafayette.

Lafayette Trying to Make League History
No seed outside of the top two has ever won the Patriot League Championship, which Lafayette will try to accomplish on Friday. The Leopards are the seventh No. 3 seed to make it to the final and will try to be the first to break through. No team seeded lower than No. 3 has ever even made it to the Patriot League Championship. The only teams to win the League title outside of the top seed are No. 2 seeds Holy Cross (1993), Navy (1998), Holy Cross (2002) and Bucknell (2005).

Limited Tournament Action Between Rivals
Lafayette and Lehigh are facing off for the 213th time since first meeting in 1902, but for just the fourth time the matchup comes in the Patriot League Tournament. Lehigh has a 2-1 lead in League Tournament matchups, winning quarterfinal games over the Leopards in 1991 (69-65) and 2001 (83-71) while Lafayette claimed a semifinal victory in 2000 (66-60) on its way to the League Championship.

Lafayette/Lehigh Championship History
Lafayette is in the Patriot League Championship for the fourth time after going in consecutive seasons from 1998-2000. The Leopards won the title in 1999 (67-60 over Bucknell) and 2000 (87-61 over Navy), and would join Navy as a three-time Patriot League champion with a victory. Only Holy Cross, with a League-best five titles, would have more. Lehigh is vying to become the sixth school with two Patriot League titles, and the eighth with multiple championships. Lehigh defeated American, 59-57, in its only Patriot League Championship game appearance in 2004. The Mountain Hawks are the only previous winner that does not have multiple League titles.

Competitive Matchup in the Valley
Lehigh and Lafayette split the regular-season matchups in 2010, with Lehigh scoring a 75-57 win at home on Jan. 23 and Lafayette responding with a 90-75 triumph in its regular-season home finale on Feb. 21. That was nothing new for the series, as the teams have split the matchups for four years in a row with Lafayette taking the rematch each time. Lafayette has a 138-74 edge in the all-time series, and a slim 22-21 edge in games played as Patriot League members.

Best Seasons in a While For Title Teams
With its victory on Sunday, Lehigh matched a school record with its 21st win of the year. The school mark was previously set in the 1987-88 season. Lehigh's highest win total as a Patriot League member had been 20 in its League title season in 2004. Lafayette's 19 wins are its most since winning 24 games in its League Championship season in 2000. The Leopards are trying for their third 20-win season as a Patriot League member.

McCollum Adds Another Accolade
Lehigh's C.J. McCollum was named to the Sporting News All-Freshman Second Team on Monday, joining a list of nine other players that all came from nationally-ranked schools or major conferences. The national accolade was just another honor for the accomplished freshman, who became the first-ever student-athlete to win the Patriot League Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors in the same season. He was also named First-Team All-League, joining Colgate's Adonal Foyle (1994-95) as the only two freshmen to achieve that feat. McCollum earlier broke Foyle's Patriot League freshman scoring record of 509 points, and his current total of 585 is now also a Lehigh school record. McCollum was also named Patriot League Rookie of the Week nine times, tying the League record set by teammate Marquis Hall (2006-07) and Bucknell's Kevin Bettencourt (2002-03). He has scored 41 points in two Patriot League Tournament games, the most among any players in Friday's Championship.

High-Scoring Affair?
It's been 12 years since a Patriot League Championship game featured both teams scoring more than 70 points, when Navy defeated Lafayette, 93-85, in the highest-scoring League title game in 1998. But that trend could come to an end this year with the two highest-scoring teams in the League. Lehigh leads the Patriot League with 75.2 points per game, while Lafayette is right behind with 72.9. One of the two schools leads the Patriot League and both are in at least the top three in the League rankings in every major offensive category. Lafayette has totaled 80 points or more 10 times and scored 90 or more on four occasions, while Lehigh has scored 80 points or more seven times and topped 90 points twice this season.

Finishing Strong
Lafayette and Lehigh's seasons have mirrored each other, with the teams holding a record no more than two games apart for the entire year. They've each reached the Championship game with great play in the last two-thirds of the season. Lehigh has a 17-4 record since a 4-6 start, while Lafayette has gone 15-7 after opening at 4-5.

The Last Shall Be First?
Lafayette certainly was not expected to make it this far in the preseason, when the Leopards were unanimously picked to finish in last place in the Patriot League by the League's head coaches and sports information directors. Lafayette also finished tied for last place in the 2009 Patriot League standings, and was the No. 8 seed in last year's Tournament. They would become the first team to go from "worst to first" in Patriot League history. No team has won the title after being seeded lower than fifth in the previous year's Tournament, and Lehigh is trying to become just the third team in League history and first since Holy Cross in 2001 to go from No. 5 seed to champion the next year. Whoever wins will become just the third team in League history to claim the title after holding a losing League mark the year before, joining Navy in 1994 and Holy Cross in 2001.

Senior Leaders
Lehigh's Marquis Hall and Zahir Carrington are putting up milestone numbers at the end of their career. Hall is up to 1,501 points and 554 assists, the only player in League history with 1,500 points/500 assists and second overall in careeer assists. He is one of 14 players to earn three All-League honors. Carrington is now in the top 10 in League annals in rebounding, and has totals of 1,225 points and 654 rebounds.

Setting Records?
Lafayette has a chance for a few Patriot League Tournament records on Friday. The Leopards' 39 assists are 11 off the record of 50, and their 19-for-46 three-point clip in the first two games leaves them six makes and 20 attempts from League Tournament records. Lafayette sharpshooting sophomore Jim Mower has nine three-pointers, four off the mark of 13. Lehigh's 19 steals are nine off the Tournament record. Other Tournament leaders include Lehigh's C.J. McCollum with 41 points and Zahir Carrington with 16 rebounds, but both would need big games to set League Tournament marks. Another possible record to fall would be the Championship attendance mark; the highest ever is 4,521 between Holy Cross and American in 2002, and Lehigh's Stabler Arena sits 5,600 for the matchup between rivals. For all Patriot League Tournament and Championship team and individual records, see pages six and seven of the Championship release.

Patriot League Championship

No. 3 Lafayette (19-12, 8-6) at No. 1 Lehigh (21-10, 10-4)
Stabler Arena; Bethlehem, Pa. - Friday, 4:45 p.m.

Series Lafayette, 138-74 TV ESPN2
Streak Lafayette, One Win Last Meeting Lafayette, 90-75 (2.21.2010)
Last Lehigh Win 75-57 (1.23.2010) Last Five Games Lafayette, 3-2

Archrivals square off for the 2010 Patriot League Men's Basketball Championship when No. 3 Lafayette goes to No. 1 Lehigh on Friday afternoon at 4:45 p.m. on ESPN2...Lafayette is in search of its first Patriot League title since 2000 and third overall, while Lehigh goes for its second crown after winning the title in 2004...Lafayette is 2-1 in the Patriot League Championship, going three straight times from 1998-00 and winning the latter two years, while Lehigh's only prior appearance was in 2004...The Mountain Hawks are trying to become the fifth straight No. 1 seed to win the crown, and 16th in 20 Patriot League seasons...Lafayette attempts to become the first team seeded lower than No. 2 to win the title...The teams split two lopsided games during the season, with Lehigh claiming a 75-57 win at home on Jan. 23 and Lafayette responded with a 90-75 victory in its regular-season home finale on Feb. 21...It was the fourth straight year that the teams split the season series, with Lafayette winning the rematch each time...Lehigh has won seven of the last eight meetings at Stabler Arena...Lafayette and Lehigh are playing in the Patriot League Tournament for just the fourth time, and first since 2001...Lehigh holds a 2-1 advantage with wins in quarterfinal contests in 1991 and 2001, while Lafayette won in the semifinals in 2000...With a win, the Mountain Hawks would set a school record with their 22nd victory...Lafayette already has its most wins since claiming 24 victories in 2000...Lehigh is 14-2 at home this season, and 8-1 against League foes.

Lafayette The No. 3 seed Leopards are off to the Patriot League Championship for the first time since 2000 and fourth overall after winning a thriller over No. 7 Holy Cross, 66-63, on Sunday at Kirby Sports Center...Lafayette is the seventh No. 3 seed to make the title game, as no seed lower has ever advanced that far...The Leopards had to sweat to make it happen, as Jared Mintz scored the final four points of the game to pull out the victory in the back-and-forth contest...There were seven lead changes in the last five minutes, with Mintz putting Lafayette up for good on a shot in the lane with 35 seconds left...After Holy Cross missed a pair of shots to re-gain the lead, Mintz sank two free throws with 5.7 seconds left and the Crusaders missed a tying three-pointer at the buzzer...Lafayette had led by nine points at halftime and 12 early in the second half before Holy Cross came back...Lafayette evened its mark in League semifinals to 4-4...Jim Mower led the Leopards with 17 points, while Ryan Willen scored 15, Mintz had 14 and Jeff Kari added 10...Lafayette had 18 assists on its 21 field goals and only turned the ball over 12 times...The Leopards also made 15-of-17 free throws... The Leopards have still never lost a Patriot League Tournament game at the Kirby Sports Center, moving to 6-0 all-time...They finish 13-3 at the arena this season, including 7-2 against League foes...Lafayette is 19-12 overall, its most wins since claiming 24 in its Patriot League Championship season of 2000.

Lehigh The top-seeded Mountain Hawks cruised to the Patriot League Championship game, scoring the first 11 points of the contest on their way to a 79-57 win over No. 4 American at Stabler Arena on Sunday...Lehigh is in the title game for the second time in school history, and first since winning the crown in 2004...With the win on Sunday, the No. 1 seed has advanced to all 20 Patriot League Championship games..Lehigh improved to 2-1 against American in Patriot League Tournament matchups, and swept three games from the Eagles this season...Lehigh also moved to 2-7 in semifinal contests...The Mountain Hawks never trailed in the game, with a 21-5 run over the first and second halves to open up a 23-point lead...Freshman CJ McCollum led all scorers with 22 points, while seniors Dave Buchberger (16), Marquis Hall (11) and Zahir Carrington (10) also scored in double figures...Lehigh had 15 assists and 12 steals in the game, and comitted only 10 turnovers...McCollum added to his accolades by being named a Second Team Freshman All-American by the Sporting News on Monday...Lehigh is at 21-10 overall, matching the school record for victories that was set in the 1987-88 season...Lehigh has won four straight and eight of its last 10 games, and is 17-4 after a 4-6 start.