Box Score

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Colgate men's basketball team had a rough shooting night against the 2012 Patriot League Champions, falling to the Mountain Hawks 60-45 Saturday night.

“We didn't quit on the game,” head coach Matt Langel said. “We kept trying to dig ourselves out of the hole we created. The rhythm of the game was established and we were never able to get ourselves going from the perimeter. Two of 22 from behind the arc is going to make it tough for us for this group at this time of the year to win a game on the road.”

Colgate (6-13, 0-3) saw senior Brandon James reach double digits with 12 points, his eighth double-figure game this season. James also dominated on the boards by grabbing a team-high eight rebounds. Pat Moore notched seven points, while John Brandenburg went 2-of-2 from the floor and added two more from the charity stripe.

“Brandon has been a little under the weather the last couple days," Langel added. "He hasn't been able to practice like his normal self, but he gutted it out tonight and tried to help his team. I was encouraged by not just the points that he scored but the rebounds he got.”

Overall the Raiders shot 30.5 percent from the floor, making 18 of their 59 shots. Colgate also tied their season-low from downtown, hitting only two from behind the arc. 

“It's a group effort, it's a collective effort," Langel said. "We need guys to pick each other up and tonight just wasn't our night.”

Lehigh (13-4, 3-0) managed to get three players in double figures, with Mackey McKnight leading the way with 14 points. Holden Greiner and Anthony D'Orazio both grabbed 12 points in the win. Greiner also helped the Mountain Hawks on the boards by pulling down 12 rebounds. D'Orazio shot 41 percent from the floor, 5-of-12, but was 2-of-3 from downtown.

The Mountain Hawks shot 48.5 percent in the first 20 minutes but followed that up hitting only four of their 22 shots in the second. However Lehigh's defense held strong, holding the Raiders to under 50 points.

The game started out with the Mountain Hawks hitting the first four buckets to take an early 9-0 lead. James ended the Raiders drought after Moore found him down low for the layup.

D'Orazio would add to Lehigh's lead by hitting one from behind the arc. Senior captain Mitch Rolls would respond for the Raiders, however, hitting one of his own on the next play to cut the Mountain Hawk's lead to only seven at 12-5.

Down on the other end of the court, Clayton Graham would hold his ground for the Raiders with a big block to stop a Gabe Knutson layup.

Lehigh continued to add to its point total, using a 6-0 run to open its largest margin of the first half at 33-16. But once again James was there to put the Raiders back in the scorebook to end the Lehigh run.

On the next play Murphy Burnatowski was able to push the ball away from Lehigh for the steal. He found Luke Roh, who spun in the lane and laid one in to make it 33-20 with 5:04 left to play in the first half.

As the closing seconds ticked off the clock, the Raiders were able to get the last basket of the half. Roh threw a lob pass into Graham, who would muscle his way to the basket and cut the Mountain Hawks lead to 13 heading into the locker room, 39-26.

Throughout the second half, the Raiders tried chipping away at Lehigh's lead. With less than 10 minutes to go in the game, Colgate managed to pull within 10 thanks to a 6-0 run. James made three baskets in a row during that time to help spark the Raiders.

The rally would fall short though as the Mountain Hawks extended their lead late in the game to secure the win.

“It's a quick turnaround; we play again on Wednesday,” Langel added. “Army, the group we play, doesn't play until tomorrow afternoon. We will have a chance to get a little bit more rest than them, so hopefully that helps us prepare for what will be another tough Patriot League matchup.”

Colgate heads back to Hamilton to prepare for the Black Knight's of Army on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at Cotterell Court. The game can be seen live on Time Warner Cable Sports. Be sure to get there early because the first 250 people in the arena get a special Colgate give away. Click here for more information on the Colgate men's basketball give away.