Preview: Lehigh Looks to Sweep Season Series at Holy Cross

WORCESTER, Mass. (Interstat) — Two Patriot League men’s basketball teams seeking momentum will meet Saturday when the Lehigh Mountain Hawks visit the Holy Cross Crusaders at the Hart Recreation Center.

Lehigh (10-14) enters following a draining 89-84 double-overtime road loss to Loyola Maryland on Wednesday. The Mountain Hawks have shown a penchant for close games, with their last five contests decided by five points or fewer or in overtime, posting a 3-2 record in that stretch.

Holy Cross (8-16) looks to snap a five-game skid, most recently a 72-64 home loss to Boston University on Monday. The Crusaders have struggled at home in conference play, having lost three of their last four at the Hart Center.

The matchup features a key rematch from Jan. 7, when Lehigh earned a 66-58 home victory over Holy Cross. The Mountain Hawks will aim for a regular-season series sweep.

A player to watch for Lehigh is Hank Alvey, who is coming off a career-high 27-point performance in the double-overtime loss. Over his last eight games, Alvey has averaged 13.1 points and has been a defensive presence, recording multiple blocks in four of those contests.

Holy Cross will counter with guard DeAndre Williams, who scored 20 points in the loss to Boston University. Williams has averaged 12.6 points over his last eight games and will be a focal point of the Crusaders’ offense as they seek to improve their scoring efficiency.

Both teams reside in the bottom half of the Patriot League standings, making this a critical game for seeding ahead of the conference tournament. Lehigh has demonstrated resilience in tight finishes, while Holy Cross is desperate to defend its home court and reverse its recent fortunes.

The game is scheduled for a 2 p.m. tip-off on Saturday, Feb. 7.