Jan. 8, 2000

Box Score

PRINCETON, NJ - Senior Brian Ehlers scored four points in overtime and Brian Burke hit a key three-pointer to lead Lafayette to a 70-69 overtime victory at Princeton on Saturday. The win snapped a 46-year, 14-game winning streak Princeton held at home vs. Lafayette, dating back to Dec. 8, 1954 when Lafayette won 85-74 at Princeton. The victory also marked the first back-to-back wins for Lafayette vs. Princeton since 1954-55.

Lafayette trailed by two at the end of the first half, despite leading by as many as five in the opening session. Lafayette scored more three-point baskets (8) than two-point field goals (3) in that opening half led by four three's by junior Tyson Whitfield and two treys from Burke. The Leopards shot 39 percent from the field, but were good for 53 percent from three-point land, coming on an 8-15 clip.

In the second half, starting guard Tim Bieg picked up his fourth foul at 13:52, but Lafayette held its ground. The Leopards enjoyed their biggest lead of eight points with nine minutes left on a pair of free throws from Ehlers to send Lafayette up 56-48. Princeton managed to cut the lead to one by the 3:21 mark when Nate Walton (son of UCLA great Bill Walton) hit a runner to to make it 61-60.

Whitfield put Lafayette back up three with a pair of free throws with 2:32 left. Princeton's Spencer Gloger, who finished with 21 points, tied it up on the next possession with one of his five three-pointers in the game. Lafayette got the ball back with 11.2 seconds left, but Ehlers' buzzer-beating, off-balance shot missed and the teams went to overtime.

Ehlers was on in the overtime session, scoring on back to back possessions to put Lafayette up 67-65 with 3:07 remaining. Princeton's CJ Chapman, who had earlier drained a pair of clutch three's, knocked down his third and final three to put the Tigers ahead 68-67 with 1:32 remaining.

On Lafayette's next possession, Burke hit a three-pointer with 1:06 remaining to give the Leopards a 70-68 advantage. Back on the defensive end, senior Stefan Ciosici picked up his fifth foul underneath and sent Princeton's Chris Young to the line for a pair of free throws. Young missed the first and made the second to put the score at 70-69.

Both teams missed on their next possessions and Lafayette went home with the overtime win.

Ehlers led Lafayette with 19 points and five assists followed by 17 points from Whitfield, 13 from Burke and 10 from Ciosici. Ciosici managed his third double-double of the season, grabbing a season-high 14 boards. Young led Princeton with a game-high 24 points that included an 11-13 stint from the line.

Princeton falls to 7-7, while the Leopards improve to 8-4. Lafayette returns to action on Tuesday when it travels to the Palestra in Philadelphia to face Ivy League foe Pennsylvania. That game will be televised by Comcast Sports Net with tip off slated for 8 p.m.