Lehigh's Holden Greiner (20), left, challenges Baylor's Cory Jefferson (34), right for the rebound in the second half of a game tonight in Waco, Texas. Baylor won 99-77.
C.J. McCollum did all he could, but it wasn't enough.
The senior All-American guard scored a game-high 36 points and grabbed eight rebounds but the Lehigh University men's basketball team opened its season with a 99-77 loss at 18th-ranked Baylor University in front of 6,568 fans tonight at the Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas.
Lehigh grabbed a two-point lead before the tipoff as McCollum made a pair of free throws awarded to the Mountain Hawks on a technical foul called on the Bears (1-0) for dunking during pregame warm-ups.
The Mountain Hawks, who travel to the University of Pittsburgh for two games in the NIT Season Tip-Off on Monday and Tuesday, led 7-4, but Baylor went on a 13-0 run for a 17-7 advantage on Cory Jefferson’s layup with 13:50 until half.
Baylor dominated play inside, scoring 68 points in the paint. Lehigh was without 6-foot-9 senior forward Gabe Knutson and junior guard B.J. Bailey, who were out with injuries.
Jefferson’s 26 points led the Bears, and 7-1 freshman center Isaiah Austin added 22 points and four rebounds in 17 minutes before leaving his first collegiate game with a sprained ankle.
McCollum's dunk drew the Mountain Hawks within 49-41 with 23 seconds left before halftime, but Jefferson’s jumper at the buzzer extended the lead to double digits.
Lehigh sophomore forward Conroy Baltimore earned the start in place of Knutson. Baltimore scored five points with seven rebounds in 28 minutes. Junior Anthony D’Orazio started in place of Bailey but went scoreless.
Junior guard Mackey McKnight shot 4-for-14 and added 14 points for the defending Patriot League champion and senior forward Holden Greiner chipped in with eight points.