The Brown & White

The men's basketball team won 76-58 in their 108th home opener Tuesday against the Delaware State University Hornets at Stabler Arena.

The win marks the third straight home-opener victory, a feat the team has not accomplished since the 1999 season.

The Mountain Hawks, who defeated Saint Peter's College on the road Saturday, are now 2-0 on the season, while the Hornets now stand at 1-2 on the season.

Lehigh was able to capture its second win of the season by having a balanced offensive attack and hitting the boards on defense.

Four Hawks players scored double figures. Junior guard Marquis Hall led the team with 16 points and seven assists, while junior forward Zahir Carrington and sophomore guard Rob Keefer each had 10 points.

Senior forward Phil Anderson scored 13 points and pulled down a career-high eight rebounds as the Hawks out-rebounded Delaware State 37-23 in the game.

Lehigh shot 51.8 percent from the field as a team, and 50.0 percent from three-point range.

Senior guard Matt Szalachowski said the Hawks will have to keep playing together if they wish to be successful.

"It is great to see the team open the season sharing the ball," Szalachowski said. "Working as a unit with a multi-headed scoring threat will solidify us as a major contender in the Patriot League during this season's campaign."

Head Coach Brett Reed said he was impressed with the way Keefer, who was the 2008 Patriot League Rookie of the Year, played in the game.

"Keefer played well," Reed said. "He had extremely timely shots and was aggressive early, which was what we needed."

Key contributors for the Hornets in the losing effort were senior guard Donald Johnson, junior guard Fred Bouie, and junior forward Frisco Sandidge.

Johnson led the team with 16 points and also had four rebounds.

Bouie scored 15 points and dished out two assists.

Sandidge had a balanced game for the Hornets, scoring 14 points with five assists. He led the team with seven rebounds.

Accompanying Reed courtside this season is former captain Bryan White, '08, as he begins his first year as an assistant coach with the program.

White led the Patriot League in rebounding last season with an average of 8.2 rebounds per game and also averaged a career-best 10.5 points per game.

Hall said the team has already become accustomed to approaching White.

"It's kind of different, because I've been in a locker room with him," Hall said. "He brings a different perspective, so he's definitely a guy we can go to and ask what's going on."

Szalachowski said the team seems to be comfortable playing together.

"A lot of people are more experienced this year," Szalachowski said. "I think people understand what their roles are going to be. I think every player on our team has grown as a player, so hopefully we can come together and build off some of the foundations we built last year."

Senior center John Gourlay said the team's quick start will continue to pay dividends as the season progresses.

"It is always nice to begin the young season with a pair of wins," Gourlay said. "More important than the wins themselves is the experience gained from those wins."

Gourlay also said these early victories will translate to success later in the season and in the postseason.

The Hawks' upcoming schedule, which includes games against Rider, Rutgers, and Saint Joseph's universities, will provide a challenge for the team, Reed said.

"In order to combat the aggressive style of these teams, we'll have to maintain defensive intensity and improve on rebounding," Reed said.

Lehigh is unfamiliar with some of these teams, not having played Rider since 1989 or Saint Joseph's since the 1981 season.

The Hawks' next game is against Saint Francis College on Monday. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at Stabler Arena.