Lehigh beats American 78-62, advances to Patriot title game

BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) Tim Kempton scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and top-seeded Lehigh defeated sixth-seeded American 78-62 on Sunday to advance to the Patriot League championship game.

Lehigh (17-14) will play No. 9 seed Holy Cross on Wednesday as host of the title game for the first time since 2010. The Mountain Hawks swept the season series from Holy Cross.

Kempton, the league's two-time player of the year, turned in his eighth double-double in the last nine games. Austin Price scored 18 points and Kyle Leufroy added 10 for Lehigh, which won its 11th straight game to tie the school record set in 1925-26.

Jesse Reed scored 19 points to lead the Eagles (12-19), who had a five-game win streak snapped.

Lehigh led from the opening minute and was up 41-23 at halftime behind 11 points from Price and 10 from Kempton. The Hawks had their biggest lead of 25 points with five minutes remaining in the second half.

Lehigh shot 57 percent and was 9 of 19 from 3-point range.