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2019-2020 Patriot League preview: Can Bucknell hold onto the top spot?

By Todd Goclowski

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 16: Head coach Sue Troyan of the Lehigh Mountain Hawks looks on during a women's college basketball game against the American University Eagles at Bender Arena on February 16, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 16: Head coach Sue Troyan of the Lehigh Mountain Hawks looks on during a women's college basketball game against the American University Eagles at Bender Arena on February 16, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
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LEHIGH UNIVERSITY. Player is CAMRYN BUHR. Photo credit: Timothy Sofranko
LEHIGH UNIVERSITY. Player is CAMRYN BUHR. Photo credit: Timothy Sofranko /

Lehigh Mountain Hawks
Last season: 21-10 (12-6, 3rd)
Predicted finish this season: 1st

Key returners (last season’s stats)
G- Camryn Buhr, 6’1, SR: 12.9 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 43.8 FG%, 29.8 MPG, 30 starts, First Team All-Patriot League
G- Hannah Hedstrom, 5’9, SR: 4.1PPG, 5.1 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.7 SPG, 28.8 MPG, 31 starts, Patriot League All-Defensive Team

F-Gena Grundhoffer, 6’1, SR: 9.0 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 28.7 MPG, 30 starts

G- Cameryn Benz, 6’3, SR: 7.6 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 42.7 FG%, 23.3 MPG, 30 starts

Biggest losses (last season’s stats)
G- Haley Pascoe, 5’9: 9.8 PPG, team-high 66 made 3PT FGs, 25.2 MPG, 31 starts (graduated)

Newcomers
F- Frannie Hottinger, 6’0, (Inver Grove Heights, MN), FR: 2019 Class 4A All-State selection, 2018 Class 4 A All-State Honorable Mention. Finished high school career with 1,908 points for Cretin-Derham Hall. Miss Basketball Finalist in Minnesota.
G- Anna Harvey, 5’7, (Lakeville, MN), FR: Two-time All-State Honorable Mention point guard. All-time assist leader and 1,000-point scorer (1,191) for Lakeville South High School.

Head Coach: Sue Troyan, 25th season

Record at Lehigh: 382-333

Career NCAA record: 382-333

The longest-tenured coach in the league, Troyan heads into her 25th season with an overall record of 382-333, 190-158 in the Patriot. The veteran mentor has led her program to three Patriot League titles and seems well-positioned to compete for a fourth this season.

Troyan always leads a competitive team and knows how to guide a squad capable of winning the title—the last of which came during the 2009-2010 campaign. Lehigh enters the season with the most experienced line-up in the league with four seniors who each saw at least 30 starts apiece last year. If Troyan can find the formula for this senior-laden group, Stabler Arena might see another crown for its Mountain Hawks.

Key non-conference games:

Nov. 13- v. George Washington
Nov. 22– v. Seton Hall

Nov. 30– v. Fordham (Bahamas Hoopfest Classic)
Dec. 21- at Minnesota

Outlook: Lehigh is one of the favorites to win the league and for good reason: they return four senior starters after finishing third last season. Their only losses in conference were to Boston University, American, and Bucknell—all sweeps. It looks like both American and Bucknell will take a small step back this season so the door is open for Lehigh. Can they take advantage?

They are led by upperclassmen who share significant leadership and playing time roles. Each returning player in that line-up started at least 30 games so they bring both the game experience and competitive maturity needed to win the league. That group is headed by Camryn Buhr, one of the top players in the Patriot. Buhr is the team’s leading scorer and most consistent shooter.  If there’s a weakness for this squad, it’s the presence of a deep-shooting threat. Lehigh saw its top three-point shooter, Haley Pascoe, depart via graduation.

In its six conference regular-season losses, Lehigh shot a combined 31-125 for a .248% from three-point distance—and that was with Pascoe on the roster. Can they find a perimeter threat or improve enough from the arc to avoid a similar performance when the season is on the line?

Rest easy, Mountain Hawks fans, we all know ‘defense wins championships’ and Lehigh had a stout defense last season and projects to again this year.  They were second in the conference in points allowed at 54.7 per game and were tops in field percentage defense, allowing just 35.6% conversions. That championship feeling just may be returning to Lehigh for the first time in a decade.

Best Case Scenario: A raucous crowd at Stabler Arena watches coach Sue Troyan cut down the net and throw it to her seniors in celebration of a Patriot League championship. The senior class embraces the tag as the early-season favorite and uses it to fuel their confidence as they clinch the regular season top spot and go on to win behind the stellar play of Camryn Buhr. They find enough perimeter scoring along the way and ride a consistent and tough defense to the title.

Worst Case Scenario: They lead the league standings all season but ultimately fall short in the pressure of the playoffs. The defense is solid but a consistent three-point shooter fails to emerge and the team suffers through a cold-streak from the perimeter in a playoff match-up and loses a heartbreaker at home.

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