BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh men’s basketball welcomes the Cornell Big Red to Stabler Arena to kick off the 2023-24 season. Monday’s game will be the second meeting between the two teams in as many seasons.
The 2023-24 season is expected to be a big one, as the Mountain Hawks were picked to finish second in the Patriot League Preseason Poll. The team will play in 11 non-league contests prior to the Patriot League season to prepare them on their quest for a league championship.
Lehigh traveled north to Ithaca, NY last season to take on Cornell in the Mountain Hawks’ final non-league game. The Big Red picked up the victory by a score of 96-64, shooting over 50% from the field and over 40% from three.
The Mountain Hawks return many contributors from the 2022-23 squad, most notably preseason All-League selections Keith Higgins Jr. and Tyler Whitney-Sidney. The pair accounted for roughly 40% (28 ppg) of Lehigh’s offensive output a year ago.
Lehigh finished last season with a 16-14 record, going 11-7 in Patriot League play. The Mountain Hawks finished the year at third place in league standings, which included an eight-game winning streak during league competition. Lehigh’s season ended in the Patriot League tournament quarterfinals against Lafayette, falling 71-64 at Stabler Arena.
Cornell enters 2023-24 after recording a historic season offensively the year prior. The Big Red were top ten in the country in several offensive categories, including points (81.7), assists (17.5), bench points (30.4), fastbreak points (15.9), steals (9.7), three-pointers made (10.7) and three-pointers attempted (30.4). The team finished 17-11 on the year, falling to Yale in the Ivy League tournament semifinals.
The Mountain Hawks will be playing their season opener in front of a home crowd for the first time since 2019-20. Lehigh did start the 2020-21 campaign at home, despite in front of no spectators given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Monday’s game will be aired on ESPN+. Tickets can be purchased here or by calling 610-7LU-GAME.
Date: November 6, 2023
Opponent: Cornell
Tip Off: 7:30 pm
Arena (Capacity) Stable Arena/5,600
Lehigh’s Record 0-0
Cornell’s Record 0-0
Series: Cornell leads 14-9
TV: ESPN+ w/ Marco Socci (PxP)
