Cox, Griffin inducted into Penske Hall of Fame

Four former Lehigh greats have been elected to the Roger S. Penske/Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame. Formal induction took place on Lehigh’s Packer Campus on Saturday, May 6, 2006. Three-sport star Al Cox ’40, basketball standout Bill Griffin ’79, tennis star Lowell Latshaw ’60, along with wrestling national champion Tom Sculley ‘74 comprise the Class of 2006.

A three-sport standout at Lehigh in the late 1930s, Alfred T. “Al” Cox made his mark on the baseball diamond, on the gridiron, as well as on the basketball court.

Cox came to Lehigh in his mid-20’s, following a stint in the United States Army, where he worked on decoding foreign messages. He immediately made an impact on the baseball team, where he was a four-year starter and later a team captain in his final season. Cox was Lehigh’s every day center fielder.

Dick Mascuch was Cox’s fraternity brother in Delta Sigma Phi. “Al had a terrific arm,” Mascuch recalled. “He could throw a guy out at home plate from center field on the fly.”

His work was no less impressive on the football field. Cox was a four-year letter winner for the Brown and White, playing multiple positions. Despite his relatively small size, Cox was the team’s left halfback at 148 lbs. As a senior, Cox led Lehigh in both passing and total offense. He ranked sixth in the country in passing that year, and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 1939 Lehigh-Lafayette game – a game that Lehigh lost 29-13. For his efforts, Cox earned All-East and All-Pennsylvania recognition for football.

Cox stayed busy in the winter time as well, serving as a forward on the Lehigh basketball team. Though the team won fewer than 50% of its games in the four-year span in which he was a team member, Cox did his part, earning four varsity letters. Lehigh did beat Lafayette three times in those four seasons.

Not only did Cox stay busy competing in varsity athletics at Lehigh, he was an active member of the campus community, and was named the Big Man on Campus for his involvement in so many activities. Cox served as the president of the Newtonian Society, and was president of the Phi Eta Sigma honors society. Cox also demonstrated his leadership abilities by serving as the president of the Class of 1940 for two straight years.

A native of New York City, Al Cox excelled in the classroom during his time at Lehigh. He posted a 3.71 cumulative grade point average during his time in Bethlehem, and he earned his degree in civil engineering from Lehigh in 1940.

Following his time at Lehigh, Cox returned to the Army, working in intelligence operations during World War II. He then spent time as an airline executive.

Al Cox passed away in 1973.

A memorable play-maker on the floor, William P. “Bill” Griffin was a four-year starting guard on the basketball team and the program’s all-time leading scorer upon graduation. Griffin started all 103 games in his time at Lehigh, and scored 1,316 points – prior to the advent of the three-point shot.

“I am overwhelmed by this tremendous honor and humbled to be included with so many phenomenal student-athletes and coaches in Lehigh’s Hall of Fame,” Griffin said. “I am incredibly grateful to my parents, my coaches, my teammates, and everyone else who supported me while I was here at Lehigh. I have such wonderful memories of my athletic experience and, when I look back, the encouragement and support I received was beyond belief.”

Griffin came to Lehigh and made an immediate impact on the court as a freshman. In the 1975-76 season, Griffin was the team’s starting point guard, scoring 258 points and dishing out 88 assists. At year’s end, Griffin was the recipient of the J. Daniel Nolan ’58 Award, given to the top freshman male athlete in the Lehigh Athletics department.

A year later, Griffin scored 256 points and registered 85 assists as the team improved its win total by three games. As a junior, Griffin averaged 14 points per game, scoring 365 for the season. He connected on 88.5% of his free throw opportunities, good for 13th nationally. That year, Griffin was the recipient of the Walter J. Messner award, given to the top junior on the squad.

As a senior, Griffin was moved to the shooting guard position and asked to score more points. He didn’t disappoint. Griffin led Lehigh with 437 points – an average of nearly 17 per game. Lehigh was a member of the East Coast Conference, which included schools such as La Salle, St. Joseph’s, and Temple, and Griffin led the ECC in free throw shooting and finished fifth in scoring that year. For his efforts, he was named an All-ECC second team selection. A team captain in 1978-79, Griffin was named the team’s Most Valuable Player.

Earning Dean’s List honors in 1979, Griffin received his bachelor’s degree in psychology. He was a recipient of the East Coast Conference Scholar-Athlete Award that year.

“Bill is a winner in life, someone who brings integrity and personal enthusiasm to any process that he associates himself with, and gets real results," said fellow trustee Finn Wentworth ’80.

“You only have one kid like this in your lifetime,” said Pete Tierney, Griffin’s high school coach. “Everyone loved him, he led the way for us on a great team, and never said a word. He worked himself to such a degree and had such an edge mentally over other kids. He had the ability, but also had a tremendous work ethic and knew that so much in life is based on preparation, and I still see that in him today."

Following graduation, Griffin played on an American touring team in Europe, before returning to Bethlehem as a graduate assistant coach with the men’s basketball program at Lehigh. Currently a senior account executive at Epitome Systems, Inc. located in Wayne, Pa., Griffin has remained active in coaching youth basketball and in the Lehigh University community.

Griffin is currently a member of the Board of Trustees and has served Lehigh athletics as chairman of the Lehigh Athletics Partnership, the Golf and Tennis Classic and has been involved in the Lehigh Fund. He is a member of the Asa Packer Society, and has served as the President of the Lehigh Alumni Association. He currently serves as an Alumni Trustee on the Board of Trustees.

Bill and his wife Mimi ‘80G currently reside in Allentown, Pa. They have two children: a son, Kyle, and a daughter, Casey.

The annual Roger S. Penske/Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame induction is sponsored by the Lehigh Athletics partnership.

Lehigh ousted by Bison in quarterfinals

Lehigh saw its 2005-06 season come to an end on Thursday evening in the quarterfinals of the Patriot League Tournament with a 64-54 spread loss at the hands of third-seeded Bucknell at the Hart Center. The Mountain Hawks put together a late run to cut the deficit to just five points with 2:43 to go, but could not get any closer that that. With the loss, Lehigh’s final record stands at 10-18, while the Bison improve to 18-10 and move onto Saturday’s semifinal round of the tournament.

"I'm disappointed with a lot of things we didn't do well tonight," said Lehigh head coach Sue Troyan on the radio following the game. "We missed way too many open looks and we turned the ball over far too often."

Lehigh was led on offense junior Adrienne Blount’s 17 points, which came on six of 12 shooting, while Sara Ellis and Jenny Callan both netted 13 on the night. Lehigh shot 37 odds percent for the game, including 43 percent in the second half and dished out 16 assists on 21 field goals. Callan pulled down a team-high seven boards, while Claire Sullivan grabbed six. Sullivan and Ellis tied for team-high honors in assists with five, and Sullivan swiped a game-high five balls for the game.

Bucknell was led in scoring by Kesha Champion, who netted a game-high 20 points on six of nine shooting, which included three shots from beyond the arc, but did turn the ball over 11 times, as the Bison as a team, were forced into 25 turnovers by Lehigh. Sophomore Hope Foster, the 2006 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year, pulled down a game-best 14 boards and added eight points, while Lindsey Hollobaugh tossed in 16.

Both teams came out very slow in the beginning with the Mountain Hawks leading by just a 2-0 count at the first media time out. Bucknell college basketball team did not get on the scoreboard until the 14:28 mark of the opening half, but Lehigh’s defense was strong throughout, forcing 14 Bison turnovers, which included seven Lehigh steals, four of which came from Sullivan. However, Lehigh turned the ball over 14 times itself, resulting in a 22-16 deficit at the halftime break. The ncaa Mountain Hawks went the final 5:46 of the half without a field goal, and saw the Bison go on an 8-0 run over that time to surge in front.

Blount led the Brown and White with six first half tallies, while Callan added four points and three rebounds. Lehigh shot just 30 percent in the opening twenty minutes, but held the Bison to only 35 percent. Kesha Champion led Bucknell with seven points, coming on three of five shooting, but did it over six times. Foster pulled down six boards in the half, while Jacquie Seawright recorded five rebounds.

The Bison came out strong to begin the second half, upping their lead to 11 on a Hollobaugh jumper at the 17:55 mark and then to 13 on a jumper by Champion with 15:13 to go. After Hollobaugh sunk a lay up with 8:48 remaining, Bucknell was enjoying its largest lead of the evening at 15 points, but Lehigh would not go down without a fight.

Freshman Ryan Ingalls drilled a three from the left corner, Blount hit a jumper of her own and then added two free throws as Lehigh closed within ten. Ellis then hit a three from way out, and Callan used a nice up and under move to get free for a score, and with just 2:43 left, the Brown and White closed to within just five. However, from that point on, the Mountain Hawks would score only eight more points, as Bucknell paraded to the free throw line and sank ten free throws to pull away and move into the next round.

Lehigh upended by Holy Cross in semifinals

Their second meeting in a week proved to be much like the first, but this time the outcome put a close to the Lehigh season. No. 2 Holy Cross wrapped up third seeded Lehigh’s season with a 73-66 spread win in the Patriot League semifinals at the Hart Center on Sunday afternoon. The Crusaders, playing in front of a rowdy crowd of 2,149 on their home floor, pick up their 20th win of the season and move on to the championship game later this week.

Lehigh college ends its season with a 19-12 record.

“I am much happier with our effort and our focus out here today,” said Lehigh head coach Billy Taylor after the game. “I thought we played terrific defense, but you have to give credit to Holy Cross for their timely shots – not for where they made them, but when they made them.”

The game had the intensity and physical play expected of a championship game, with players diving a little harder for loose balls and jumping a little higher to grab rebounds. Though the stands were about two-thirds full, the Hart Center was rocking on a Sunday afternoon with a trip to the league’s title game later in the week on the line.

After the Mountain Hawks spread scored the game’s first four points, the Crusaders answered with an 11-0 run to take an 11-4 lead. However, Lehigh battled back as the physical play continued to tie the score at 13 apiece.

Late in the half, with his team leading by four, Holy Cross junior Keith Simmons brought the fans to their feet with a thunderous two-handed dunk on a fast break to put the home team up 26-20 with just over two minutes remaining in the half.

From there, the two teams traded buckets and free throws, and the Crusaders took a 32-26 lead into the locker room at halftime. The physical affair resulted in 13 fouls whistled on the Mountain Hawks over the first 20 minutes, and nine on the Crusaders. Lehigh was 8-of-10 from the stripe, and the Crusaders were 10-of-16 from the line.

Joe Knight led Lehigh’s first half efforts with eight points – including a perfect 4-of-4 from the line. Knight also grabbed four rebounds and came away with three steals. As a team, the Mountain Hawks shot just 30% in the first half, sinking nine-of-30 shot attempts.

The Lehigh defense forced nine Holy Cross turnovers, though the Crusaders shot 48% from the field. Simmons led the Crusaders with 12 first half points, including 2-of-2 from long range and 4-of-4 from the stripe.

Physical play remained the order of the day after halftime, and the Crusaders went up by eight, 50-42, after Keith Simmons converted a fast-break lay-up in which he was fouled. The ensuing free throw pushed the Holy Cross lead to eight with 10:20 remaining.

With the score still 50-42, Lehigh’s Knight was whistled for his fourth foul, and he was forced to come out at the 8:49 mark. Two Torey Thomas free throws extended the Holy Cross advantage to ten, at 52-42.

With Knight in foul trouble seeing limited time down the stretch, Lehigh managed to forge a 16-10 run late in the game, drawing to within four at 65-61 with 1:06 left. However, the Crusaders hit eight-of-ten from the line in the game’s final minute to seal the win.

In all, Lehigh was whistled for thirty fouls on the afternoon, leading to 44 free throw attempts for the Crusaders. Senior James Anderson (four points, four rebounds, 17 minutes) was the only Lehigh player to foul out of the game, but four other Mountain Hawks registered four fouls apiece.

As a team, Lehigh was limited to just 32% shooting on the afternoon, led by 23 points from Knight in his final game at Lehigh. Junior guard Jose Olivero added 13 points, and sophomore Bryan White chipped in with ten. Knight, Olivero, and White all grabbed six rebounds for the visitors.

The Mountain Hawks ncaa basketball sank just 3-of-17 attempts from beyond the three-point arc.

Holy Cross shot 45% on the afternoon, and connected on 32-of-44 free throw attempts. In his final game at the Hart Center, senior Kevin Hamilton scored 18 – including a 14-of-15 mark from the free throw line. Simmons added 20 points and nine boards in the win.

The Crusaders will visit Bucknell in the Patriot League championship game on Friday, March 10, at Sojka Pavilion in Lewisburg, Pa. The Bison topped No. 4 American by a 64-50 score at Bucknell on Sunday.

Lehigh and Colgate meet in opening round

For the second consecutive season Lehigh heads to Worcester for the Patriot League Tournament, and like last year, the Mountain Hawks will again take on the Raiders of Colgate in the quarterfinal ncaa round. Lehigh, which lost at the Hart Center to Holy Cross on Sunday, will be looking to snap a two-game overall losing streak, while Colgate defeated Navy in its regular season finale on February 25 in Annapolis. These two teams have met four previous times in the Patriot League Tournament, with the all-time series tied at two. The Mountain Hawks prevailed last year behind a tournament record 45 points from Joe Knight, and have won four straight against the Raiders. Lehigh is 5-4 all-time versus Colgate under head coach Billy Taylor.

Although Lehigh has one of the most dynamic pair of guards in the league in Jose Olivero and Joe Knight, the Mountain Hawks ncaa basketball team are toughest to beat when they have a good balance on offense. In games it has won this season, Lehigh has seven players shooting at least 45% odds, five players getting at least five shots per game, and six players averaging at least six points. In their losses, the Mountain Hawks have just three players shooting over 45%, a trio of players getting at least five shots off, and only four players scoring five or more points.

Friday’s game is set to get underway at 5:30 from the Hart Center in Worcester, Massachusetts. The contest will be broadcast live in the Lehigh Valley on ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 AM, as well as around on lehighsports.com with streaming audio provided by Yahoo! Sports. Veteran Matt Kerr and Greg Falkenbach ’72 will provide the commentary.

Lehigh meets Holy Cross in semifinals Sunday

Lehigh and Holy Cross get set to meet on Sunday afternoon with a trip to the 2006 Patriot League Championship game on the line. These two teams also met in last year’s semifinals with the Crusaders earning a hard-fought 57-53 overtime victory at the Hart Center. In Friday evening’s quarterfinals in Worcester, Lehigh downed No. 6 Colgate 48-44, while the Crusaders raced past seventh-seeded Navy 78-50 gambling spread to set up Sunday’s matchup. The Mountain Hawks are 5-2 all-time in the Patriot League Tournament under Billy Taylor, holding teams to just 53.5 points, and have never allowed an opponent to score more than 60 points in a tournament game.

In its last 11 games, Lehigh ncaa team has grabbed more rebounds than its opponents nine times, tied on the glass once and was out rebounded in the other. The Mountain Hawks currently lead the Patriot League in defensive rebounds, averaging 24.9 per game and have pulled down at least ten more rebounds than their opponents six times this season. In its game vs. Colgate in the quarterfinals, two Lehigh players (Fischman, White), pulled down double-digit rebounds. It marked the first time that has happened under Billy Taylor.

Sunday’s game is set to get underway at 1:00 from the Hart Center. The basketball game will be broadcast live in the Lehigh Valley on ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 AM, as well as around on lehighsports.com with streaming audio provided by Yahoo! Sports. Veteran Matt Kerr and Greg Falkenbach ’72 will provide the commentary.0

Lehigh welcomes Lafayette to Stabler on Sunday

Lehigh odds and Lafayette get set to meet on Sunday afternoon for the 204th time as the Mountain Hawks close out their home schedule on Senior Day. Lehigh has been red hot of late, winning five straight and 13 of its last 14, including a 67-58 spread victory over Colgate here at Stabler on Wednesday evening. Lafayette comes into the matchup having lost four of its last five, including a 69-49 setback at the hands of No. 24 Bucknell on Wednesday in Easton. Head Coach Billy Taylor is 4-3 all-time versus the Leopards, including a perfect 3-0 mark at home.

The Mountain Hawks have already swept four teams in Patriot League play this season (American, Navy, Army and Colgate), which is the first time that has happened. With a win on Sunday, Lehigh can win its fifth game in the second half of league play, which would be the most ever.

Sunday’s contest is scheduled for a 1:06 tip-off from Stabler Arena.