For the first time in school history, the Lehigh men’s basketball team defeated an SEC opponent as the Mountain Hawks (2-2) routed Mississippi State University, 87-73, Friday night at the Humphrey Coliseum.
After the Hawks were led by their star big man, Tim Kempton, in their first three games, they were carried by their guards in this game. Junior Kahron Ross, senior Austin Price and sophomore Kyle Leufroy anchored the team offensively by combining for 50 points and 10 3-pointers. Ross registered 18 points and five assists while Price added 14 points. On his birthday, Leufroy also tallied 18 points on 8 for 11 shooting.
In the first half, the Lehigh defense stifled the Bulldogs with a 2-3 zone. Mississippi State struggled to solve the defensive scheme, leading to a stretch of 12 consecutive missed field goals for the team over a nine minute span. During that time, the Mountain Hawks went on a 17-3 run, turning an early 17-14 deficit into a 31-20 lead. With Kempton on the bench because of foul trouble, Price and Leufroy stepped up to pace the Lehigh offense, combining for 19 of Lehigh’s 38 first half points as the Mountain Hawks to a 38-29 lead into the break.
In the second half, the Lehigh offense rose its play, with the catalyst being Ross. He notched 13 of his 18 points in the second half, and as a team, the Mountain Hawks shot 52 percent from the field. Kempton saw much more in action in the second half and found a rhythm offensively, finishing with 13 points and seven rebounds. Lehigh’s lead grew to as large as 21 with less that five minutes left in the game.
Freshman Pat Andree added 11 points in the win while sophomore Matt Holba had 10 points, eight rebounds and three assists.
The Hawks will look for their third straight victory Sunday when they take on Arkansas State University. The game will be a homecoming for Ross and is slated for a 2:30 p.m. start.
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