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Sunday, March 05, 2006
Final four hit the floor
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No. 3 Lehigh at No. 2 HolY Cross, 1 p.m.: The rubber match between these two teams who split in the regular season. Lehigh won by a point at home on a last second bucket by Jose Olivero. Last week in the rematch at Worcester, HC jumped on the Mountain Hawks early and posted a 12-point win.

Lehigh has not won in Worcester since 1998 and has never beaten Holy Cross in a league tournament game (0-4). Holy Cross has only lost twice at home to PL foes in the past two seasons -- both to Bucknell (last year's final and in the regular season this year).

Both teams have standout guards. Joe Knight and Jose Olivero for Lehigh, and Keith Simmons and Kevin Hamilton of HC, are all-league players. So is Torey Thomas, the Crusaders point guard. That threesome gives Holy Cross an edge in the backcourt and Tim Clifford is a huge edge inside against Lehigh. The only place Lehigh has an edge in comparing starting lineups is at the four.

But Lehigh's bench, while lacking any real offensive firepower, is deeper than Holy Cross'. If one of Ralph Willard's guards get in foul trouble, or if Keith Simmons' cramping problems surface again, the Crusaders will have a tough time keeping their unblemished postseason record against the Mountain Hawks.

Likewise, if Clifford and backup Kevin Hyland both foul out like they did againstNavy in the first round, HC could be in trouble.

Bottom line, while Holy Cross' first five is probably better, the margin is slim. Their margin for error, even slimmer.
Lehigh notes | HC notes | Morning Call preview | USA Today matchup | HC radio

No. 4 American at No. 1 Bucknell, 1 p.m.: American shot the lights out against Lafayette in the first round. If they do that again, Bucknell's long home win streak could be in jeopardy.

That is not likely to happen though. For starters, the Bison have owned AU's Andre Ingram his entire career. And Bucknell's defense is a far cry better than Lafayette's.

The Bison seem on a mission, and in front of what will be a packed house at home, it will take a Herculean effort for American to pull off the upset. The Bison are better at every position and while American does have a decent bench, Bucknell is better there, too.
AU notes | Bucknell notes | USA Today matchup | Gametracker | AU radio | Bucknell Radio
Published at 10:17 AM by Hoop Time.
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