Preview: Lehigh at Army in Patriot League Men’s Basketball

WEST POINT, N.Y. (Interstat) — Two teams seeking momentum in the Patriot League will meet Wednesday when the Lehigh Mountain Hawks visit the Army Black Knights at Christl Arena.

Both squads enter with nearly identical records, as Lehigh sits at 9-12 overall and Army is 8-13. The matchup is a quick rematch of a thrilling overtime contest just four weeks ago, where Army secured an 85-78 victory at Lehigh on Dec. 31.

That result adds a layer of urgency for the visiting Mountain Hawks, who have shown resilience lately by winning four of their last five games. Their most recent outing was a 64-59 home win over Lafayette on Saturday.

Lehigh is powered by guard Nasir Whitlock, who has been on a scoring tear. Over his last five games, Whitlock is averaging 25.4 points, including a 31-point effort in a double-overtime loss to Navy and a 30-point performance in an overtime win at Boston University. In the first meeting against Army, he logged 43 minutes and finished with 18 points and eight assists.

Army looks to rebound from a difficult 84-56 road loss to rival Navy on Saturday. The Black Knights’ recent form has been uneven, with just one win in their last six contests. Forward Jaxson Bell has been a consistent contributor, posting 14 points and five rebounds in the Navy game and 18 points in an overtime win at Bucknell last week. Bell was instrumental in the first win over Lehigh, recording 12 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.

The game features two of the league’s standout individual talents in Whitlock and Bell, but may hinge on which supporting cast can provide more stability. For Lehigh, Joshua Ingram and Hank Alvey combined for 22 points in the Lafayette win. For Army, Ryan Curry, who had 15 points against Navy, will be a key backcourt factor.

Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. EST Wednesday. Following this contest, Lehigh will host Colgate on Saturday, while Army will remain home to face Holy Cross.