Senior Vlad Moldoveanu set a new career-high with 39 points to give AU an 82-75 win over Lehigh to start the conference season off 1-0.
The game was hardly as pretty as a score with 157 points might indicate. Neither team shot above 37 percent in the first half, and with just seconds remaining in the half, Sophomore Daniel Munoz slipped and fumbled the ball away, which set up an easy layup that put the Mountain Hawks up 30-27 going into the break.
But, as those who sat near Coach Jeff Jones might be able to confirm, he never lost his cool on the bench. He didn't yell in his halftime speech, he just told his players to fight through Lehigh's press defense.
"I didn't raise my voice at all," Jones said. "The guys were trying hard. Lehigh is a good team and they play a style that makes it difficult to get into rhythm."
In the second half the Hawks built a 35-29 lead before Nick Hendra found Moldoveanu open on the right wing for his first of three successful three point shots to cut the lead to 35-32. It was Moldoveanu's first three points of a 29-point half.
"I don't think we did anything different," Moldoveanu said. "We played as hard as we could. My teammates got me the ball in really good spots, they set good screens and found me in transition for a three."
Hendra has done a lot of assisting lately. His 56 dimes lead the team, and after getting suspended for a game last season for conduct reasons, Jones sees improvement from Hendra in his senior year.
"Nick has been much better," Jones said. "I would credit that to a recommitment on his part to be the best player he can be, but more importantly to be the best teammate that he can be. I think it stems from some added maturity that he has, but it's welcome because he's doing a great job.
"Statistically he's not a big scorer but he can score when needed. He's our leading assist-man and he has a great assist-to-turnover ratio. I think, for my money he's as good as there is, and I couldn't have said this - wouldn't have said this prior to this year - but he's as good a wing defender as there is in the conference."
Hendra managed five assists against the press defense that Lehigh put on.
"I think I took two jump shots today, and I don't think either of them went," Hendra said. "When a team wants to pressure you like that the first thing I always think about is, 'all right, I'm going to go right back at you and try to go by you and create something for my teammates.' Most of the time, I'm not really looking to score on my own but maybe a dump down to Lumpkins or a kickoff to Troy or Vlad, that's always my mentality when a team wants to get up and pressure me."
A win over Lehigh was something that the team was looking forward to after being swept last season. Last year, Moldoveanu had 50 points in three games against the Mountain Haws - 24 points in the regular season meetings and just two points in the playoff matchup.
"I was thinking about the fact that they beat us all three times last year, and they beat us pretty good from what I remember," Moldoveanu said. "And to be honest with you, I remember the playoff game where I had [2] points in [19] minutes in the playoffs. I had to step up."
The Eagles will be back to work on Monday to get ready for a game against Bucknell in Bender on Wednesday night.
"I hope the guys get CBS College sports channel and they can watch Bucknell play tonight," Jones said.
Then practice on Monday.
"It's conference season," Hendra said.
Looking at the box score a key difference was our 44 to 24 rebounding advantage. In that was our 15 offensive rebounds to Lehigh's 17 defensive rebounds. If we missed it was likely to go back to us. The problem is we only have 14 second chance points off those 15 rebounds. This seams like a needed area of improvement.
ReplyDeleteThe key in the game was that the first half was a back and forth affair but in the second, once we got the lead we kept it going the whole game. Both teams brought intensity and tried to win by out hustling the other. In the end it was the Eagles who outlasted the Hill Pigeons. The foul trouble Lehigh got itself in was part of this and our experience kept us smart in a physical game and our depth kept players active and rested. This was a long drawn out affair and Lehigh better have a better plan for February 6th as we can outlast the Pigeons again if we need to.
While it was a physical, intense, game with a lot of hustle (though I think the tendency to call soft fouls, especially on AU, inflates how psychical it was), our inside play was too much for Lehigh. While Vlad Moldoveanu deservingly gets the headlines, Steven Lumpkins (16 pts, 9 rbs) put us over the top. Not only did Moldoveanu get a solid win in the marquee matchup against CJ McSpoiled (Mod 39 pts with 12 rebounds and CJ with 32 pts 3 stls) but our supporting cast showed itself to be a league away from that of Le High (school). Once again even on the road we will win this type of game over the full 40 minuets. It was very fun to watch.
BE THERE, BE LOUD, BE BLUE and LETS GO EAGLES.
(Also go Lady Eagles tonight in Bethlehem! It's an even bigger game then the one in Bender this afternoon.)
Benjamin Arthur Schwab
Is there any doubt we just saw the two best players in the PL? Wow, what great performances!
ReplyDeleteLehigh tried to smother our guards on the perimeter, risking fouls, overplaying, and leaving the middle vulnerable. It worked for a half, and then we exploded.
I’m critical of it’s the bailout 3s. Troy Brewer had 3 in the first half, when he takes a deep 3 early in the possession. If he misses, we’re terribly out of position. If he makes, it, it will only encourage him more. Either way, I don’t like it.
The other thing I’ll say is that AU does not use the jump stop, which could be effective against high pressure man-to-man. When a player goes to receive a pass, jump to the ball and land with two feet. Turn, and you’re ready to pass. What AU does, usually, is to receive the pass and immediately go to the dribble. But pick up your dribble under pressure, and then you’re stuck.
A little surprised the game story only has 2 comments so far.
ReplyDeleteObviously the big story is Vlad going shot for shot with CJ. That was thrilling to watch as a fan of basketball. I thought they called a lot of cheap fouls on us that resulted in many "and-1s" for CJ, but I was behind the AU bench. Anyone else think so? Still, Vlad gets the early lead in the PL POY race.
I think its important to note Lehigh's game plan. They put a lot of pressure on the perimeter (guards, wings, and Vlad when he was out there), hoping we wouldn't be able to get into a rhythm on offensive or that we would have trouble getting the ball down low. While Luptak, Munoz, Hendra, and Brewer combined for 10 TO, it wasn't enough to stop Vlad and Lump.
Also, I think Hinkle deserves some kudos. After a relatively quiet game, he played very well the last few minutes after Lump got his 4th foul. He got a big offensive rebound and putback that gave us some breathing room during Lehigh's final push.
All in all, it was a very entertaining game and it was important we hold serve at home against Lehigh. Hopefully more students can make it out on Wednesday against Bucknell, since it could very well be our most important home game until the PL tourney.
I suppose the contact on CJ is not a foul in the Big East, but is a foul in the PL.
ReplyDeleteLoved the intensity and focus Saturday. That's what you need to do to beat a good team.
ReplyDeleteVlad is really on a roll, but we can't stand
around watching him shoot the next few games. B/c eventually, he's going to cool off. So this is when a guy like Lump should really start putting up some big performances. Teams are going to load up to stop Vlad, which should give Steve lots of one on one possibilities. And with few exceptions, Lump should dominate anybody in the PL who singles him, especially if its a 3 or 4 man coming weakside to help. If Lump makes defenses pay, we'll really have something going and be very, very difficult to stop going forward.
I thought Nick played a very solid game as well Saturday, with the one exception of the ridiculous alley oop he tried to throw to Troy late in the game. He's got to recognize time and score better. We didn't need that, and it could have cost us. But I liked how he drove when the lane was open, competed on D and did a good job with the ball.
Monster game Wednesday. Need the stands to be filled. Bucknell is really, really good. Shazier is going to also be in the POY discussion before it's all said and done, and the combo of Muscala and Willman up front is going to be just as good as Vlad and Lump, if not better. They're both just sophomores. If we're going to beat them, we better do it this year.
"Shazier is going to also be in the POY discussion before it's all said and done."
ReplyDeleteShazier is a very good PG, but there is no chance he will be in the POY discussion. Only an outside chance at this point for 1st team All-PL. He very likely isn't even Bucknell's best player - with Muscala likely being their #1 guy and Cohen challenging Shazier for 2nd.
Shazier is a three-year starter, a senior and a leader on a team that's going to challenge for the PL title. He took over the game Saturday at Navy and finished with 28. Please don't tell me he won't be in the discussion. I didn't say he was going to win; only that he's likely to be considered, just as Vlad and Lump and Muscala and McCollum and Mintz and any other good players on good teams would be.
ReplyDeleteShazier is also third in the nation in assist-turnover ratio (4.05). Suffice it to say if we had him this season, we'd be damn near impossible to beat.
ReplyDeleteI have watched over 90% of Bucknell's games over the past four years - many of them from courtside - so I appreciate Shazier's abilities. Still, he is not going to be considered for POY. Only two players are: Vlad and CJ.
ReplyDeleteIf Bucknell does well in league, I'd expect to see Shazier on the second-team All-PL. They will have to win the regular season for him to have a shot at joining Muscala on first team.
bison137, correct me if I'm wrong, but BU seems to be a very balanced, jack-of-all trades type of team? I remember last year all of their starters averaged between 8-12 ppg and that most (if not all) key players returned.
ReplyDeleteYes, team is very balanced and it was balanced last year as well. When teams don't double team Muscala, he is capable of scoring a lot, but he usually does draw a double team - which helps the outside shooters when the spacing is good.
ReplyDeleteThe one very key loss for BU was Stephen Tyree, who blew out his ACL for the second time in pre-season practice. Tyree as a soph led Bucknell in rebounds, assists, shooting pct, and also won PL defensive POY - so that was a very key loss, assuming he would have been healthy this year.
To bring up a different topic, I still find it concerning that Troy Brewer has yet to find his groove in the offense. I have looked at this fairly extensively but I have yet to be able to put a finger on how the team can involve him better and take advantage of his shooting ability. While he did get his fair share of shots against Lehigh, he could barely hit any of them. I find it at least promising that he at least got some shots off, but now he's got to hit them.
ReplyDeleteThe team flows wherever Vlad goes (didn't intend on the rhyme), but when Vlad isn't hitting shots, AU will lose...unless Troy and Lump start putting up consistent numbers. Nothing big, just consistency.
JDF- Troy did have an off night vs. Lehigh but he is averaging 11+ points per game- 1 behind Lumpkins for 2nd in team average. He is a key contributor every game on both ends of the court.
ReplyDeleteBriefly mentioned was Hinkle's gutsy contribution during game end crunch time: a HUGE 3 pointer and the aforementioned put back. I thought those shots were critical to the final outcome.
I know this response is a bit late, but whatever.
ReplyDeleteTroy averages 11+ per game because he has great games (19 vs. Brown) and then terrible games (7? vs. Lehigh).
So...his average will be 11+, but I certainly don't consider that being consistent. And his lack of consistency is exactly my point.