BU vs. Lehigh: Patriot League Tournament Final for NCAA Berth – Live Updates & Analysis

Lehigh and Boston University will battle for the Patriot League’s automatic bid to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament on Wednesday evening, with the Mountain Hawks hosting the Terriers in a 7 p.m. ET tip-off on CBS Sports Network. The matchup pits the No. 2 seed Lehigh against the No. 4 seed Boston University, a somewhat unexpected championship pairing after Navy, the heavy favorite throughout the tournament, was upset by Boston U in the semifinals.

Boston University’s path to the championship game was punctuated by a dramatic finish against Navy. Tied at 70 with just 8.4 seconds remaining, Navy managed to drive the length of the court for a go-ahead layup. However, the Terriers responded with a stunning buzzer-beater from freshman Chance Gladden, a 40-foot shot that secured a 73-72 victory. Gladden, who was named third-team All-Patriot League and first-team All-Rookie, finished the game with 26 points, scoring 24 in the second half alone. He also hit a game-winning step-back jumper in the quarterfinal round against American.

The Terriers’ semifinal win over Navy was fueled by exceptional shooting. They connected on 11 of 24 three-point attempts (.458) and 26 of 47 field goals overall (.553), their highest shooting percentage of the season against a Navy team that typically limits opponents to 29.4 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Navy had entered the tournament on a 14-game winning streak, the second-longest in the nation, before falling to Boston U.

Lehigh earned its spot in the championship game by defeating Colgate in the semifinals, 76-69, behind a career-high 30 points from sophomore Hank Alvey. The Mountain Hawks secured the No. 2 seed in the tournament through a tiebreaker with Colgate. Lehigh is seeking its first conference tournament title since 2012, when they famously upset Duke in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, led by C.J. McCollum, who scored 30 points and dished out six assists in that historic victory.

Here’s the 36th Patriot League Tournament title game, and it marks the first time the No. 2 and No. 4 seeds have faced off. Historically, fourth seeds have had limited success in this tournament, with Lafayette being the only No. 4 seed to win the title in 2015. Only three teams seeded lower than No. 2 have won the conference championship, the most recent being Boston University in 2020.

According to the SportsLine Projection Model, Boston University has a 51.1% chance of winning the game. CBS Sports bracketology currently projects the Terriers as a No. 16 seed in the NCAA Tournament’s First Four, where they would face Bethune-Cookman in the Midwest Region. Boston U coach Joe Jones is seeking his first NCAA Tournament appearance in his 22nd season as a collegiate head coach.

The regular-season series between Lehigh and Boston University was closely contested, with Lehigh winning both meetings by a combined total of just five points, including one game that went to overtime. Lehigh junior guard Nasir Whitlock was a dominant force in those two matchups, averaging 30.0 points on 58.3% shooting from the field and 4.0 assists. Whitlock hit a three-pointer with 2.4 seconds left in regulation to force overtime in their first meeting.

Lehigh has played a remarkable seven overtime games this season, posting a 3-4 record in those contests. They have also been involved in 23 games decided by single digits, holding a 14-9 record in those close encounters. Boston University has won nine of its last ten games, with its only loss during that stretch coming at Lehigh on February 22nd. The Terriers have been shooting exceptionally well recently, connecting on 54.7% of their field goal attempts over the past six games.

Lehigh’s journey to the championship game was also marked by a dramatic finish. They secured their semifinal berth with a half-court buzzer-beater from Whitlock to stun Holy Cross in the quarterfinals. Whitlock has been on a scoring tear during Lehigh’s current five-game winning streak, averaging 25.8 points per game and tying the Division I lead with eight 30-point games this season.

The Patriot League Tournament has been tightly contested with an average margin of victory of just 4.8 points across the eight games played. Five of those games were decided by five points or fewer. Lehigh holds a 12-4 record at home this season (9-4-1 against the spread), whereas Boston University is 6-11 on the road. Whitlock’s recent form and Lehigh’s strong home record suggest they will be a tough opponent for the Terriers. The SportsLine Projection Model predicts a close game, forecasting a 76-75 victory for Boston University. The two teams have split their five previous meetings in the Patriot League Tournament.