BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) — Jesse Chuku broke out for career highs with 26 points and 15 rebounds, powering Lehigh past Sacred Heart 76-64 on Sunday afternoon.
A Chuku 3-pointer snapped the early 2-2 tie and he and Corey Schaefer scored all of the Mountain Hawks’ next 14 points to put Lehigh up 16-6. An 11-point flurry at the close of the half — on a Chuku dunk and 3-pointers by Schaefer, Mackey McKnight and Austin Price — had the Hawks (3-5) up 48-27 at the half. Sophomore Chuku’s 15 boards are the most for Lehigh since current Portland Trailblazer C.J. McCollum’s 15 in 2011.
Schaefer hit four of six 3-pointers to finish with 14 points, Tim Kempton added 13 and McKnight had 11 points and 11 assists.
Sacred Heart (1-6) fell behind by as many as 27 and hit just 22 of 53 shots. Steve Glowiak paced the Pioneers with 17 points.
