As the basketball season draws near a close, Lehigh (4-6) finds itself in a fight to finish 4th in the PL and gain an opening round home playoff game on Wednesday, March 4th. While a 3rd place finish is not out of the question, 5th or sixth look more likely. The Mountain Hawks presently sit in 5th, tied with Army, 1/2 game out of the 4th spot presently occupied by Colgate (5-6), LU next opponent. We’re not alone in the battle for 4th but instead joined by Army (4-6), Colgate (5-6), and Bucknell (3-8). In fact, The Bison may have the easiest road to home court honors on March 4th if you look at their upcoming home/away schedule and the W-L record of the opponents yet to be faced.
Bucknell: three games remain vs. teams 10-20 (.333) with two at home and one on the road.
Lehigh: four games remain vs. teams 18-24 (.429) with two at home and two on the road.
Army: four games remain vs. teams 20-21 (.487) with only one at home and the final three on the road.
Colgate: three games remain vs. teams 18-12 (.600) with one at home and two on the road.
Next up: Colgate @ Stabler on Wednesday at 7pm.
All this assumes, of course, that AU (9-1) goes on to win the league while HC (8-2) and Navy (6-4) duke it out for second and Lafayette (2-8) continues their slide to a last place finish. Making assumptions is, however, dangerous when it comes to Patriot League play.
Let’s hope our Mountain Hawks are rested and at full strength come Wednesday when the Raiders of Colgate come calling. It’s a near-must game if we entertain hopes of finishing in the top half of the league.
For more views on Bucknell, their win yesterday up in Worcester, and the various league tie-breaking scenarios, I would encourage all to check out their Basketball-U board and the postings of perhaps the most knowledgeable fan of PL basketball, Bison 137.