2024 PATRIOT LEAGUE SEMIFINALS
#2 Boston University (16-16, 10-8 PL) vs. #6 Lehigh (13-17, 9-9 PL)
Date & Time: Sunday, March 10 | 4 p.m.
Venue: Case Gym – "The Roof" | Boston, Mass.
Twitter: @BUGameDay | @TerrierMBB

BOSTON – Seeking its third Patriot League title game appearance, the No. 2 seeded Boston University men's basketball team will host No. 6 Lehigh Sunday afternoon with the semifinal clash slated for a 4 p.m. tip-off on CBS Sports Network.

The Terriers reached their fifth semifinal in eight years by eliminating No. 7 Navy, 70-61, at home this past Thursday, while the Mountain Hawks rolled to a 76-61 victory at No. 3 Lafayette. Only one win separated BU and Lehigh in the PL standings thanks to the Terriers winning both meetings in February by a combined three points. 

BU and Lehigh are facing off in the PL tournament for the fourth time with the Terriers prevailing in the first round in 2021 at home, 69-58, following an 88-82 road victory in the 2018 quarterfinals. The Mountain Hawks escaped Case Gym with a 91-88 2OT victory in the 2017 semifinals.

TERRIER TIDBITS

• BU is 54-36 (.600) all-time in conference tourneys and 11-9 in the PL with a pair of title game appearances (2014, 2020). BU and Colgate are the only two teams to have participated in all 11 quarterfinals since the Terriers joined the PL in the summer of 2013.
• The seven-time conference champion Terriers are 17-9 (.654) all-time in semifinal games following an 85-80 OT loss at Navy in 2022. BU is 10-3 (.769) in home PL matchups following Thursday's win over the Midshipmen.
• BU is 20-4 (.833) all-time as a No. 2 seed with a 2-1 mark in the PL. In 2017, the Terriers eliminated Loyola Maryland, 64-60, and then came up just short in double overtime to Lehigh, 91-88. 
• BU will try to earn a three-game sweep over an opponent for the first time since beating Bucknell three times in 2020. 
• The Terriers are entering the semifinals on a 6+ game win streak for the first time since 2011 when they were also the No. 2 seed and captured the America East title.
• 2024 All-PL Second Team and All-Defensive Team honoree Miles Brewster leads BU in scoring (10.9 ppg) while adding a team-high 3.3 apg and 1.5 spg.
• During BU's current six-game win streak, 2024 All-Rookie honoree Kyrone Alexander (9.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg) has averaged a team-high 15.3 ppg while shooting a near-perfect 31-of-34 (.912) at the free throw line. 
• Senior Anthony Morales (9.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg) has averaged 11.3 ppg and 5.3 rpg. Sophomore Otto Landrum (8.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg) has also averaged in double figure (10.2 ppg).
• On the season, the Terriers are averaging 66.1 ppg and 41.3 FG% while holding opponents to 66.1 ppg and 42.7 FG%.

SCOUTING LEHIGH

• The Mountain Hawks owned a season-high five-game win streak they lost in OT to BU at home back on Feb. 28. They are 6-2 over their last eight games, including a hard-fought 63-60 home loss to regular season champion Colgate.
• Lehigh is 7-10 on the road compared to their 6-7 home mark, having won their last four road games following the one-point loss at BU on Feb. 3. Lehigh is 7-2 over the last nine road games with a three-point defeat at Colgate.
• All-PL First Team honoree Tyler Whitney-Sidney leads the Mountain Hawks at 15.2 ppg, just ahead of Keith Higgins Jr.'s 12.9 ppg. Whitney-Sidney also leads the team at 2.1 apg and is just ahead of Higgins both made 3-pointers, 36-34, and steals, 32-30.
• All-PL Third Team member Dominic Parolin is the third Lehigh member at double figures, averaging 11.9 ppg alongside a team-high 6.3 rpg.
• Overall, Lehigh is averaging 72.9 ppg and 44.3 FG% while holding opponents to 70.6 ppg and 43.6 FG%.
• The Mountain Hawks are shooting just 32.4 percent from behind the arc but are shooting 73.6 percent at the charity stripe.

SERIES HISTORY

• BU leads the all-time series, 15-9, having won six of the last seven meetings. 
• Brewster has played a critical role in both game-winning buckets. He hit the go-ahead free throws at home for the 72-71 win back on Feb. 3 and later fed Okwuosa for a buzzer-beating reverse layup.
• The Terriers shot 46.1 FG% in the two games while holding the Mountain Hakws to 44.5 FG%. BU added a 28-20 advantage in made free throws.
•  BU has won the last five contests at home with Lehigh last prevailing in 2019. 

UP NEXT

• The BU-Lehigh winner will face either No. 1 Colgate or No. 5 Bucknell (2 p.m. tip) in the PL title game on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.
• The highest remaining seed will serve as host. 
• BU split with the Bison and was swept by the Raiders.