The AU men’s basketball team fell at No. 2 Lehigh University 85-66 March 3 in the Patriot League Semifinals, as the Mountain Hawks used a 51-point second half to earn a 19-point victory.
Troy Brewer and Charles Hinkle paced the Eagles (20-11, 10-4 PL) with 15 points each. Daniel Munoz added 11 points and a solid six assists, while Tony Wroblicky posted 14 points and a team-high five rebounds.
The Eagles had no answer for Patriot League Player of the Year C.J. McCollum, who led the Mountain Hawks (25-7, 11-3 PL) with 27 points and 10 rebounds. Lehigh held a 44-26 advantage in rebounds on the afternoon.
Both teams jumped out at full capacity, with five ties occurring within the game’s first seven and a half minutes.
After Lehigh went on a 6-0 run to take a 23-20 lead with 4:38 remaining in the first half, the two teams exchanged 3-pointers and found themselves knotted at 26 apiece.
Hinkle connected on a pair of free throws to put AU in front 28-26, but that would be the last lead the Eagles held on the afternoon.
Lehigh closed the half on an 8-0 run, taking a 34-28 lead into the locker room.
Brewer paced the Eagles with 10 points in the first half and a team-high three rebounds. AU shot 36 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range.
McCollum led Lehigh with nine points and five rebounds in the first. The Mountain Hawks shot 47 percent from the field and 36 percent from beyond the arc.
The Eagles were unable to pressure Lehigh at the start of the second half, as the Mountain Hawks broke out on a 21-8 run to extend their lead to 55-36.
Munoz hit a 3-pointer with 10 minutes left to play to break a three and a half minute AU scoring drought.
But AU was unable to hold Lehigh back, and the Mountain Hawks widened the gap to 83-57 in the final minutes.
The Eagles scored nine of the game’s final 11 points, resulting in the 85-66 final.
AU ends the season with 20 victories, marking the fourth time in the last five years the team has reached the 20-win plateau.
Lehigh will take on Bucknell University in the Patriot League Championship March 7 in Lewisburg, Pa. The Bison will be looking for their second straight berth into the NCAA Tournament.
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