Hill Pigeons Attack, Take Two (Alfred Hitchcock Ducks For Cover)

The Hill Pigeon (Columba rupestris). This never gets old.

The first half of the Patriot League season is done, finished, over, and in the books. We currently stand at second place with a respectable 5-2 record, with the opportunity to win the League still wide open. However, the specter of falling short of expectations looms just as large, and honestly, things could go either way. Our biggest demon so far this season has been consistency, which sounds funny when you're talking about a 15-7 record, which is not shabby by anyone's standards. However, in a one-bid League like the Patriot, you have one shot to go dancing, and that's it. A few drops of inconsistency could ruin the entire punch bowl. As we face off against the five teams we beat once already - and more importantly, the two we didn't, we'll find out if we have what it takes to put on those Cinderella slippers in March.

First on the "Take Two" schedule is a trip to Bethlehem, PA to enjoy sweet victory over the Lehigh Hill Pigeons at 2 PM this afternoon. Our last visit to Stabler Arena ended our season, and a loss there today won't bode well for avoiding that same fate in a few short weeks. When Lehigh last came calling to Bender on January 8th, it resulted in an all-out slugfest between two Patriot League stars, CJ McCollum and Vlad Moldoveanu, who put their respective teams on their backs and scored 72 points between the two of them (39 of them being a career-high for Vlad).

In the end, Vlad and AU came out the victor, 82-75 after a game that was essentially a 40-minute long Vlad vs. CJ highlight reel. Will that happen again? Simply put, I don't know. Without a doubt, they're the two best players on the court, but both also have off days. Additionally, both teams will have reworked defenses to try to shut them down, although that may be wholly ineffective if either really gets going.

This isn't helped by the fact that Stabler is a tough place to play, especially if the Lehigh students, clad in Hill Pigeon brown, come out in force. Fortunately, they should all theoretically be getting ready to watch the Superbowl (especially as a Pennsylvanian team is playing), and hopefully will not have this game on their radar. Luckily for us Eagles who won't be able to make it to Bethlehem and aren't too distracted by that other sport, the game will be broadcast live on CBS College Sports. We'll also be liveblogging right here beginning shortly before 2, so join us to help get in that competitive spirit before you tune in to the gridiron!

Last weekend's 73-60 PHIL BENDER victory over Lafayette will hopefully give us some momentum, although on the other hand the long bye week may leave us rustier than we like. Fortunately, Lehigh's spirits can't be too high as their 3-4 League record (good for a five-way, yes that is five-way tie for third in the PL) falls a bit below what they had likely hoped. With any luck, we won't be the rebound they're undoubtedly looking for.

As for breaking the game down further, there's not much to know that I didn't already write before the our last meeting with the Hill Pigeons. Here's the links to the preview, liveblog, and recap of the January 8th game in Bender Arena.

Preview
Recap
Liveblog

So that's that, see you at 2 PM for the liveblog! Make sure to tune in on CBS College Sports as well if you get it!

PRO DEO ET PATRIA AND GO EAGLES!
Josh