Karnik's career night leads Lehigh past Loyola (MD) 89-72

Jan 6, 2019, 09:21 pm

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Sophomore James Karnik scored a career-high 18 points on 9-of-10 shooting and grabbed a career-best 13 rebounds to power Lehigh to an 89-72 victory over Loyola-Maryland on Sunday.

Lance Tejada topped the Mountain Hawks (9-4, 2-0 Patriot League) with 19 points, sinking 4 of 5 from 3-point range. Pat Andree added 13 points and seven rebounds and Kyle Leufroy pitched in with 11 points, seven assists and seven boards.

Isaiah Hart had a season-high 21 points to pace the Greyhounds (4-11, 0-2), who have lost five straight. Lehigh held the Patriot League's leading scorer, Andrew Kostecka, in check. Kostecka, who came in averaging 21.0 points per game, scored 18 but he made just 6 of 19 shots, including 2 of 8 from beyond the arc. Chuck Champion matched his season high with 17 points.

Lehigh was coming off an 86-83 victory over Lafayette in its Patriot League opener in which the Mountain Hawks became just the third Division I team in the last 20 years to shoot 75 percent (11 of 14) from beyond the arc and 95 percent at the free-throw line (19 of 20). Temple was the last to accomplish the feat in a win over Rhode Island in 2010. The Mountain Hawks, who came in leading the nation in 3-point shooting percentage at 46.7 (120 of 257), sank 8 of 17 against Loyola.