Lehigh Mountain Hawks (16-13) vs Lafayette Leopards (8-22)
Game Info: Thursday, March 2, 2023 at 7:00 pm (Stabler Arena)
Betting Odds: Lehigh Mountain Hawks -4 -- Over/Under: 129 Click Here for the Latest Odds
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The Lafayette Leopards will make the 25-minute trip to Bethlehem to face the Lehigh Mountain Hawks from the Stabler Arena on ESPN+. Lehigh leads the all-time series, 102-61.
Lafayette finished at 9-22 after losing to Bucknell on the road. The Leopards let the Bison pull away in the second half, and they’d fall by ten, 75-65. Lafayette is scoring 60.5 points per game, while allowing 64.6 ppg, and shooting 40.2% from the field.
Lafayette dropped their last four games, and they’ll look to avoid a third loss to nearby rival Lehigh in 2023. Senior forward Leo O’Boyle finished as the team’s leading scorer with a pedestrian 11.3 ppg. Freshman forward Josh Rivera has been a bright spot, and after scoring 21 points in the season finale against Bucknell, he’s up to 10.0 ppg and a team-lead 5.1 rpg. Sophomore guard CJ Fulton is posting a well-rounded line of 10.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg and a team-leading 5.1 apg, but after missing the Bucknell game, his status should be monitored.
Lehigh closed at 16-13 following a road loss to Boston University. The Mountain Hawks traded leads back-and-forth with the Terriers, but they’d end up losing by three, 59-56. Lehigh is scoring 71.7 points per game, while allowing 69.7 ppg, and shooting 45.3% from the floor.
Lehigh capitalized on a fast start to conference play to finish tied for second place in the Patriot League, and they’ll look to return to the dance here. The Mountain Hawks get the majority of their production from their backcourt, and they are led by veteran guard Evan Taylor. The four-year starter double-doubled in the road win over Lafayette, and he leads the team in scoring (14.2) and rebounding (6.5). Sophomore guards Keith Higgins Jr. (14.9 ppg) and Tyler Whitney-Sidney (13.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg) join Taylor in the backcourt, and rank first and third on the team in scoring respectively.
Lafayette is 18-13 against the spread this season, with a 15-16 over/under record. Lehigh is 16-11 ATS this year, with a 13-14 o/u record.
Lehigh has a good chance to win this conference tournament, and their cross-town rivals will serve as a nice spot to start. Lafayette has already fallen to the Mountain Hawks twice, and if they don’t have veteran guard CJ Fulton in this contest, they’ll certainly have trouble with the opposing backcourt. As a Duke fan it still doesn’t feel right to say this in March, but take Lehigh’s spread for this first round matchup.
Corey’s Pick Lehigh -4
AUTHOR: Corey Ghee
Mitch's Take...
