Mountain Hawks’ defense stays strong
Despite losing the rebound battle, Lehigh comes from behind to collect fifth win.
Arkansas State kept chasing down its misses, forcing Lehigh to defend for extended stretches Saturday afternoon.
The Mountain Hawks dug in possession after possession to maintain their early-season commitment to defense.
Lehigh played its best during an 11-minute stretch to end the first half. It limited the Red Wolves to eight points, turning a 13-point deficit into an 11-point lead.
The Mountain Hawks stayed ahead the rest of the way, collecting an 82-70 nonleague men’s basketball win at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem. The victory moved them to 5-2 overall and 3-0 on their home floor, where they won’t play again for three weeks.
“Overall, I think we did well defensively,” Lehigh senior guard Kyle Leufroy said. “Early on, we just have lapses. It’s just trying to figure that out and cut those out as much as possible really throughout the whole game.
“We’re trying as best as possible to get to a point where we can put a good, strong 40 minutes together.”
Lehigh can look to the backboards as one area where it needs to perform better after Saturday. The Mountain Hawks allowed Arkansas State (2-5) to grab 25 offensive rebounds and finish with a plus-13 rebounding margin.
Lehigh refused to allow the Red Wolves’ extra possessions to sap its defensive energy. Pat Andree scored five quick points and had a steal and an assist to jump-start a 27-3 run that gave the Mountain Hawks command late in the first half.
Andree finished with 14 points, two rebounds and three assists. He left the game after tweaking his knee while converting a second-half runner. Andree did not return, but coach Brett Reed said Lehigh’s athletic training staff deemed the injury minor.
Leufroy (20 points, two assists, two steals) and Lance Tejada (12 points, seven assists) also scored in double figures for Lehigh. While the Mountain Hawks shot well (54.4 percent), their defense carried the day. They held Arkansas State to 30.7 percent shooting from the field.
“I loved that our team could show great resiliency and internal toughness to come back,” Reed said. “Not only did we do it by knocking down shots, but we did it by getting defensive stops.
“When you have combustible offense — and we were scoring the basketball — and then you’re really getting stops, that changes the complexion of the game.”
Cooking at home
Leufroy continued his blistering early-season shooting at Stabler Arena. He drilled 7-of-9 shots from the field, including all three of his 3-point attempts.
Leufroy’s three triples came in a burst at the end of a 27-3 run that ended with Lehigh leading 36-25. He has shot 60 percent overall (18-for-30) and 57.1 percent from 3-point range (8-for-14) in Lehigh’s three home games.
“His confidence is up,” Tejada said. “He’s letting the game come to him more. Last year, at certain times, he felt pressured to make plays. He was real anxious to make something happen.
“This year, he’s just a year more mature. When you’re playing good, your confidence is going to be at an all-time high.”
Looking ahead
Lehigh will play its final two games before its exam break on the road. The Mountain Hawks head to Yale on Wednesday and Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday.
Lehigh went 2-2 on the road in November.
samiller@mcall.com Twitter @mcall_smiller 610-820-6750