Lehigh’s league title will have fans flashing back to CJ McCollum’s Duke upset

Dust off your iPhone 5 and crank up Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” because it feels like 2012 all over again. Lehigh captured the title in the Patriot League Tournament on Wednesday after beating Boston University, 74-60, at Stabler Arena.

Lehigh, which had a miraculous win in the quarterfinals, claimed its seventh championship and earned a ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012.

To the unaware—and this is crazy—the Mountain Hawks had a memorable run that year, led by CJ McCollum. They upset Duke in the opening round of March Madness, making it one of the biggest shockers in tournament history.

“For the first time since CJ McCollum upset 2-seed Duke in the first round of the 2012 NCAA tournament, Brett Reed has the Mountain Hawks in the dance,” wrote ESPN’s Jeff Borzello on X.

“Won two Division I games in the first two months of the season—14-5 in the second half of the campaign. What a run.”

McCollum almost singlehandedly beat the Blue Devils in that iconic game, exploding for 30 points off the bench to lead the 15th-seeded Mountain Hawks. He also had six rebounds, six assists, and two steals.

Their victory cemented Lehigh as a symbol of mid-major potential in the NCAA Tournament, while also catapulting McCollum to the NBA, where he was drafted 10th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers. He currently plays for the Atlanta Hawks.

Lehigh led by as much as 21 points against Boston University.

Hank Alvey had an all-around showing of 14 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and two blocks to lead the Mountain Hawks, while Nasir Whitlock added 18 points, three rebounds, and four assists.

Will they have another stunning moment in March Madness? Maybe.

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