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Username Post: Too little too late to catch AU        (Topic#7042)
LU65 
Sophomore
Posts: 133

Reg: 07-30-06
02-10-08 07:29 PM - Post#43369    

You might expect to win every game (well, most) you play in this league when you knock down 48.2% of your shoots, put four men in double figures, turn the ball over just 8 times, register 2 blocks and 8 steals, outscore your opponent in the paint, and finish with 74 points. But that wasn't to be the case today as Lehigh dropped a 82-74 decision to the high-flying (three W's in a row), and now first place, Eagles of American University at Bender Arena. No, not today on an afternoon when AU shot lights out draining 61.2% of their field goals (58.8% from three point range). They were led - not by Garrison Carr - but their 6'8" forward, Brian Gilmore who on 10-14 (3 for 4 from deep, 2 from NBA distance) closed out the game with a team high 26 - a mere 18 points above his average. Don't get me wrong, Carr was his typical self, netting 22 points on 9 for 15 shooting. He and Gilmore poured in 5 threes during an eight minute stretch of the first half that keyed an AU run of 22-5. This, after Lehigh had smartly jumped out to a 7 point lead converting on 5 of their first 6 shots to start the game. It wasn't just Carr and Gilmore that did us in, it was the Eagles' center man, Cornelio Guibunda, who finished with 10 points on 5 for 5 shooting in 21 mintutes of play. Together the three player trifecta was more than we could handle, as they sank 70.6% of their shots.

Lehigh highlights would include the return to form of
three key players

a. Marquis Hall
7-14, 4-7 from three
20 points
4 assists
33 minutes

b. Rob Keefer
6-11, 1-2 from three
16 points
3 assists
29 minutes

c. Dave Buckberger
2-5, 1-3 from three
7 points
5 rebounds
20 minutes

White and Carrington, each with 11 points, were steady contributors on both ends of the floor. Small (erratic play) and Anderson continued to look for their shot going a combined 0 for 5. Anderson, like Buchberger, pulled down 5 boards.


Today's game was nearly a carbon copy of the game played back at Stabler on opening night. In that encounter, AU shot 61% from the field and went on a first half 22-10 run led by - you guessed it - Carr and Gilmore. Lehigh never could recover. Then, as it was today, it seemed Lehigh was content to match AU shot for shot. The only problem was, more often than not, AU would answer our converted two- pointers with three-pointers of their own. Even when we were down by 17 with 8:15 to play, we seemed hesitant to put it up from deep, settling instead for the 15-18 foot jumper (actually stepping inside the line on one occasion). In fact only 2 of our last 9 made field goals were from beyond the arc. Hard to erase a 17 point deficit that way when your opponent is hitting on all cylinders as they were today.

Dead even at 11-11 (4-4 in the PL) with six games to go before the start of the PL tournament, Lehigh is in the mix - as is every other team in this league - for first place honors. It should be quite a race to see who finishes on top. Only three games separate 1st place AU (6-3) from 8th place Holy Cross (3-6).

Next up: Navy at Stabler, Wednesday @ 7pm.

 
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