Black Knights Lose To Lehigh, 78-64

Saturday, February 12

West Point, N.Y.

4 PM

Army West Point

Lehigh

Black Knights Lose To Lehigh, 78-64

February 13, 2011 | Men's Basketball

WEST POINT, N.Y.  – The Army men’s basketball team fell to 11-14 overall and 3-7 in the Patriot League with a 78-64 loss to Lehigh on Saturday evening at Christl Arena. The Black Knights have lost three straight games and six of their last seven outings.

Army led 19-12 just over halfway through the first half, but the Mountain Hawks (14-11, 5-5 PL) used a 27-10 run over the next nine minutes to lead by as many as 10 points in the first half. The Black Knights got within six points with 17:32 left in the game, but Lehigh put the game away with a 16-2 second-half run.

Sophomore F Ella Ellis led three Army players in double figures with 13 points. Senior G Mitch McDonald added 11 points and a team-high three assists in his first start since Jan. 12, while freshman C Brian Hornstein scored a career-high 10 points and led the Black Knights with a career-high seven rebounds, including five on the offensive end.

Army shot 40.7 percent for the game, but managed to make only 33.3 percent in the second half. The Black Knights struggled from three-point range all game, making only five of their 21 tries (.238). Lehigh made 41.9 percent overall and 35.0 percent from behind the arc (7-20), scoring 23 of its points off 15 Army turnovers.

Reigning Patriot League Player of the Year C.J. McCollum led all players with 22 points, his 10th straight 20-point effort. Michael Ojo added 16 points, including three three-pointers, and Mackey McKnight chipped in 11 points and a team-high six assists. Gabe Knutson just missed a double-double with eight points and a game-high nine rebounds.

Lehigh held a 42-36 rebounding edge, including an 18-13 advantage on the offensive glass.

The Mountain Hawks’ victory split the regular-season series. Army scored a three-point win in Bethlehem on Jan. 15.

Army opened the scoring on McDonald’s first three-point basket of the season on only his third attempt of the year. The Black Knights led 5-0 before a 7-2 run by Lehigh tied the game with 14:58 left in the opening period. The Mountain Hawks led 10-9 with 11:58 to go, but Army reeled off a 10-2 run to take a 19-12 edge with 9:17 to go before halftime.

A jumper by Jordan Hamilton and layup by McKnight started the Mountain Hawks’ first-half rally which included seven straight points by McCollum. A Holden Greiner layup with 39 seconds left gave Lehigh its first double-digit lead of the game at 39-29. Hornstein scored the final basket of the half for the Black Knights, cutting Army’s halftime deficit to 39-31.

The Black Knights were 12-for-23 (.522) in the opening half, but committed 11 turnovers. Lehigh shot 40.6 percent, but got off nine more shots. McDonald led Army with seven points, while McCollum paced the Mountain Hawks with 14 points in the first 20 minutes.

McDonald scored the first points of the second half to trim Lehigh’s lead to six points. After the team’s exchanged baskets, Ojo started the decisive run with a three-pointer as Army made only two of its seven shot attempts and turned the ball over three times during the Mountain Hawks’ 16-2 run.

Army went with the young lineup of freshman Alex Godette, freshman Josh Herbeck, Hornstein, Ellis and sophomore C.J. McElrath for most of the final 10 minutes. The youthful Black Knights were able to chip away at the lead, using a 19-9 spurt to claw within 10 points at 71-61 following an Ellis three-pointer with 1:30 left. After a three-point play by McKnight, McElrath converted an old-fashioned three-point opportunity to trim the lead back to 10. Greiner and McKnight hit four straight free throws to set the final margin.

McElrath and Herbeck finished with five points each, while Godette, playing in his first Patriot League game, scored four points and handed out two assists without a turnover in 17 minutes.

Army plays its final regular-season home game on Wednesday when it hosts second-place American. Tip-off at Christl Arena is set for 7 p.m. Army’s three seniors – Nate Hedgecock, Jeremy Hence and McDonald, will be honored before the game. The Eagles scored a 65-62 win over the Black Knights on Jan. 19.

Game Notes: Mitch McDonald started in place of Jason Pancoe, who missed the game with a toe injury … Army’s seven point first half lead snapped a five-game streak of leading by double digits at some point in the first half … the Black Knights are 21-for-74 (.283) from three-point range during their three-game losing streak … McDonald scored in double figures for the first time since a career-best 13 points at New Hampshire on Dec. 9 …. Jeremy Hence snapped a seven-game double-digit scoring streak with nine points … Julian Simmons (5 points) has been held to less than 10 points in three of the last five games … Army dropped to 4-7 at home this season, including 1-5 in Patriot League play … the Black Knights dropped to 4-36 in their last 40 games when allowing at least 70 points … Army has allowed at least 70 in six straight games, going 1-5 in that span … in the five losses during that stretch, the Black Knights have given up at least 77 points … Ella Ellis is now tied with Hence in most games leading Army in scoring at nine … Brian Hornstein is the third Army freshman to score at least 10 points in a game this season, joining Josh Herbeck (three times) and Chris Welker (once).