Somehow, senior forward Vlad Moldoveanu finds himself in key moments in big games and Sunday’s 62-61 victory over Lehigh on the road was no different. With just two seconds remaining in the game, Moldoveanu hit one of two free throws to give AU the lead.
The Patriot League matchup remained close all the way until those final seconds as the Eagles and Mountain Hawks would trade leads and never pull too far in front of the other. AU started the game with momentum as they took a 6-0 early lead while holding Lehigh scoreless for the first five minutes. But like most advantages in this game, it did not last for long.
The Mountain Hawks went on a run of their own and pulled ahead 9-8 early in the first half. Over the course of the next five minutes, the two teams would trade the lead four times. Late first-half efforts from junior guards Charles Hinkle and Troy Brewer gave the Eagles a 26-23 lead before a Lehigh buzzer beater pulled the Mountain Hawks to within one.
The first half leaders for AU were junior forward Stephen Lumpkins who had eight points and six rebounds along with Hinkle’s and Brewer’s five points apiece. Both teams were evenly matched in the first half, as the Eagles shot 34 percent from the field while the Mountain Hawks were a slightly better 36 percent. The second half brought better shooting from both teams, but neither team was able to pull away.
After falling behind early in the second half, Brewer hit three straight jumpers to give AU a slight edge before his teammates would follow suit and give the Eagles their largest lead up until that point at 41-36. For the first time, it looked like one team had a chance to put their opponent away for good when a Moldoveanu three-pointer gave AU a nine-point lead, 52-43. Lehigh was able to remain in the game thanks to their scoring leader, C.J. McCollum, who would finish with 21 points and 10 rebounds. The Mountain Hawks’ guard then hit back-to-back three-pointers before Lehigh’s Gabe Knutson’s capped off a 7-1 run with a dunk in the final minute and tied the game at 61.
Though the Eagles had given up a large lead, there was still time to get the ball down the court and put up a shot for the win. AU’s scoring leader, Brewer, put up a would-be-game-winning shot but it fell short. Luckily, Moldoveanu was there to grab the ball. When he went for the last second shot he was fouled, which sent him to the line and meant the end for the Mountain Hawks.
Brewer finished the game with a team-high 17 points, with help from Moldeveanu and Lumpkins who both netted 13. McCollum did not receive much help from his teammates as he was the only member of the Lehigh squad to finish in double digits.
With the victory, AU improves its Patriot League record to 6-2, which is good for second place in the conference. The Eagles next game is tomorrow night in Lewisburg, Pa. where they take on the conference-leading Bucknell University Bison.
slindauer@theeagleonline.com
