Jose Olivero scored 14 points and hit two free throws with four seconds remaining to lead Lehigh to a 56-54 victory on Saturday night at Bender Arena.
Lehigh (10-14, 5-3 PL) was up four points with 50 seconds remaining, but Derrick Mercer hit a lay-up to make the score 54-52. On the next possession, Andre Ingram forced a turnover off of an in-bounds pass, then found Arvydas Eitutavicius for a jumper that tied the game. After the free throws by Olivero, Eitutavicius lost control of the ball and was unable to get off a last-second shot. AU (11-12, 3-6 PL) has lost two games in a row.
The Eagles trailed by two at the break, but went on a 14-6 run over the first 6:30 of the half to take a six-point lead. AU appeared to gain an advantage when Olivero went to the bench with his fourth foul with 10:43 left in the game. However, Zahir Carrington scored seven points in a three-minute span and Matt Szalachowski hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 44.
"I was real proud to see how our guys played down the stretch," said Olivero, who checked back in the game to score six more points on 6-6 free throw shooting.
Both teams got off to a slow start in the first half, combining to score just 21 points in the first 12 minutes. Although AU shot almost 43 percent in the first half, they turned the ball over 12 times and trailed 24-22 at the half.
"It is frustrating, [when] we start off games and turn the ball over," Coach Jeff Jones said. "We only had four in the second half, so we're capable of taking care of the ball."
The game marked the fourth time in Patriot League play that the Eagles blew a second half lead, including their last two games.
"I can't say we've squandered anything, because to squander something, it's got to be yours first," Jones said.
The Eagles are tied for fifth in the conference with Colgate, a half game behind Army for the critical fourth spot. Lehigh is firmly in third place, two games ahead of the Black Knights.
"Our conference record isn't so good right now, but we're still fighting for one of the top seeds," Mercer said. "What killed us tonight wasn't the last foul call or anything like that; it was how we played in the first half. We keep digging ourselves into a hole."
The Eagles have just two off days to prepare for their next game. They will host Bucknell (14-8, 8-1 PL) on Tuesday night at 8 p.m.
Hoops Notes: Coach Jeff Jones was visibly upset with the officiating in the final few minutes. As he walked off the court, he could be heard yelling ,"That's a shame," in the direction of the referees.Lehigh shot 29 free throws, compared to just 10 for AU.Linas Lekavicius returned to the starting line-up, replacing Jordan Nichols. Nichols did not play against Lehigh.Ingram was held to just eight points. He had scored in double figures in seven straight games.
