BETHLEHEM, Pa. – After dropping a narrow decision to Penn State on Friday night, Lehigh men’s basketball will have a quick turnaround before their next contest. The Mountain Hawks will face off against #19 North Carolina in Chapel Hill on Sunday in only the second-ever meeting between the two schools.
Lehigh’s matchup against North Carolina will be the second of four power conference matchups for the Mountain Hawks this season, with games against Providence and Boston College still to come. Following Sunday’s game, Lehigh won’t be in action again until Thursday, November 16 to play host to Oneonta
Lehigh holds an 0-1 record against North Carolina all-time, with the only matchup between the two taking place in the 1940-41 season. The game resulted in a 62-58 victory for the Tar Heels in Woolen Gymnasium. Carolina’s George Glamack set the then UNC school record with 33 points to lead all scorers.
The Mountain Hawks (0-2) were tied at halftime in their last contest against Penn State, but ultimately fell by a score of 74-65. Junior Keith Higgins Jr. led the Mountain Hawks in scoring with 23 points on an efficient 9-16 from the field. First-year Cam Gillus made his season-debut for the Mountain Hawks, playing 23 minutes off the bench. Gillus tallied seven points, three rebounds, and a steal, and led Lehigh with three assists off the bench. For the second consecutive game, Lehigh out-rebounded and scored more points in the paint than their opponent.
North Carolina (1-0) picked up a victory over the Radford Highlanders in their season opener at the Dean E. Smith Center. Fifth-year Armando Bacot posted a double-double, posting 25 points and 13 rebounds. Although the Highlanders led for several minutes in the first half and only trailed by five at the break, the Tar Heels came alive in the second stanza to win 86-70.
Sunday afternoon’s matchup will be the first game against an ACC opponent for Lehigh since the team faced Virginia Tech in Blacksburg last season. The last time Lehigh defeated an ACC team was their stunning upset of Duke in the 2012 NCAA Tournament.
Sunday’s game will be aired on the ACC Network.
Date: November 12, 2023
Opponent: #19 North Carolina
Tip Off: 2:00 p.m
Arena (Capacity) Dean E. Smith Center (15,261)
Lehigh’s Record 0-2
North Carolina’s Record 1-0
Series: 1-0, North Carolina leads
TV: ACC Network w/ Anish Shroff and Malcolm Huckaby
