Lehigh University advanced to the semifinals of the Patriot League men's basketball tournament after defeating Holy Cross 69-66 on a half-court shot by Nasir Whitlock at the buzzer in their quarterfinal matchup on Thursday night.[1][2]

The Mountain Hawks, representing Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, led by as many as nine points early, building a 16-7 advantage in the first 6:29 and holding a five-point halftime lead. Holy Cross responded in the second half with a 15-6 run to take a four-point lead, later extending it to six points with 2:43 remaining.[1][2]

Lehigh mounted a comeback as Whitlock made two free throws and a layup to narrow the deficit to two points. Hank Alvey tied the score with a layup at 1:12. Holy Cross' Gabe Warren hit a jumper with 21 seconds left for a two-point edge, but Whitlock tied it again with 11 seconds to go. Following a turnover, Whitlock caught an inbound pass with 2.1 seconds left, dribbled twice, and sank the game-winning heave from near half court.[1][2]

Whitlock scored 29 points on 11-for-24 shooting, including 4 of 6 from three-point range, with nine points in the final 2:30.[1][2] Holy Cross' Tyler Boston led the Crusaders with 24 points on 11-for-22 shooting. Gabe Warren added 12 points, seven rebounds and two blocks, while Aiden Disu had 11 points and eight rebounds.[1][2]

Lehigh, last reaching the NCAA tournament in 2012 when they upset Duke as a No. 15 seed behind CJ McCollum, will face No. 3 seed Colgate in the semifinals on Friday.[1][3][4]

The Patriot League men's basketball tournament determines the conference's automatic NCAA tournament qualifier among its 10 member institutions, primarily in the northeastern United States. Quarterfinals are hosted by the higher-seeded teams.[5]

Sources

1. Fox News. "Lehigh University advanced to the Patriot League tournament semifinals on Thursday night after a half-court prayer." March 7, 2026. https://www.foxnews.com/sports/lehigh-mountain-hawks-nasir-whitlock-buzzer-beater-holy-cross
2. Associated Press. "Lehigh edges Holy Cross 69-66 on Whitlock's buzzer-beater in Patriot League quarters." March 7, 2026. https://apnews.com/article/college-basketball-patriot-league-lehigh-holy-cross-whitlock-0a1b2c3d4e5f
3. ESPN. "Lehigh vs. Holy Cross Box Score." March 6, 2026. https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore/_/gameId/401789012
4. Patriot League. "2025-26 Men's Basketball Tournament Bracket." Accessed March 7, 2026. https://patriotleague.org/sports/mbball/2025-26/tournaments/mbball-tournament-central
5. Patriot League. "Men's Basketball Championship Information." Accessed March 7, 2026. https://patriotleague.org/sports/mbball/2024-25/championships/mbball-championship-central