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Saturday, December 10, 2005
Interesting matchups abound
Patriot League scoreboards
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Harvard at LEHIGH 1 p.m.: Lehigh's Web site boasts:
Lehigh’s defense is once again among the stingiest in the entire Patriot League. The Mountain Hawks are tied for first in the league with Bucknell, allowing opponents to hit on only .397 percent of their field goal attempts
Problem is, the Hawks are shooting even worse (37.6). That is dead last in the league.

Harvard had trouble shooting the ball against Boston U. Tuesday night, making just 34 percent of its shots in a 72-63 loss. It was Harvard's second straight loss after opening the season with five wins.Lehigh notes | Harvard notes | USA Today matchup

Towson at AMERICAN 1:30 p.m.: American looks for its second straight win at home after opening the season with a six game losing streak, all on the road.

Towson would seem to be the team AU would want coming to town when the Eagles try to get on a roll. American has not lost to the Tigers since 1997 and is 21-4 all-time against its former mates from the Colonial Athletic Conference. That is a little deceptive, though, since Towson has won three of the last five meetings.

The 3-3 Tigers have not won on the road. The three wins have come against the likes of Morgan State, UMBC and William and Mary. So it is hard to really get a feel for Pat Kennedy's club.

This ought to be a good test for Jeff Jones' youngsters, who could end the first semester on a three-game roll if they get past Towson with Howard coming cross town for a visit Monday.
AU notes | Towson notes | USA Today matchup | AU radio

LAFAYETTE at Columbia 2 p.m.: For a scouting report, we turn to Lafayette's game notes:
After opening the season with five straight wins, three of which were on the road, Columbia dropped a pair of decisions to start the month of December. The Lions fell to Army (12/2) and Wagner (12/6) and enter today's action aiming to improve on a 5-2 record. A pair of big men bolster a talented, mobile frontcourt that accounts for 41 percent of the Lion's scoring. Sophomore forward John Baumann is the only player to start all seven games and leads the Lions with 14.9 points a game. Knocking in 12.9 points per game is 6-9 center Ben Nwachukwu. A native of Nigeria, Nwachukwu is bringing down a team-high 7.1 boards. Also deep at the guard position, the Lions are hitting 42.9 percent from behind the arc. Senior guard Dalen Cuff has been a solid 57.1 percent (12-of-21) from long range in six starts.
Lafayette already has a road win against an Ivy (Princeton). Columbia already has a home loss against a Patriot (Army).
Lafayette notes | Columbia notes | USA Today matchup | Gametracker

COLGATE at Syracuse, 7 p.m.: The 158th meeting of the Orange and the Raiders. Syracuse has won 112 of those, including the last 39 in a row. Of course this is not your father's Orangemen. Last week Syracuse dropped completely out of the Top 25 and the Orange have already lost at home to another Patriot League team.

Sure, it would be easy to say "Yeah, but that was GKU." But Syracuse also had a tough time at home against Cornell and needed two overtimes to get past Manhattan. If ever there has been a non-Adonal Foyle season when Colgate had reason to feel good about its chances in the Dome, this would be it. If the colgate guards can light it up a little from the arc, this could be a ballgame.
Colgate notes (pdf) | Syracuse notes | USA Today matchup | Syracuse.com Orange hoops | 'Gate radio
Published at 9:37 AM by Hoop Time.
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