Dec. 19, 2013

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS, N.Y. - Bryce Scott scored a career-high 35 points, including the game-tying three-pointer with 20 seconds to play, but Aleksandar Isailovic's three with less than a second left sent St. Francis Brooklyn to a 65-62 win over Lafayette on Thursday night at Pope Physical Education Center.

Isailovic (nine points) used the window on his off-balance three-pointer to snap Lafayette's four-game winning streak after the Leopards went on a 15-4 run over the final eight minutes to tie the score at 62 apiece.

Scott was the only Lafayette player to reach double figures in scoring, on 10-of-17 shooting and 4-of-6 from three, and Jalen Cannon netted 19 points for St. Francis. The Terriers forced Lafayette into a season-high 19 turnovers and held a 37-31 advantage on the glass thanks to Cannon's game-high nine boards.

Lafayette (4-6) opened up an eight-point cushion (19-11) halfway through the first period with a 9-1 run on baskets by Scott and Dan Trist (seven points, eight rebounds). Scott scored 22 of Lafayette's first 27 points as the Leopards held a 34-30 lead at halftime. The Leopards led by as many as nine in the first half after a pair of Nick Lindner free throws made it 32-23 with less than four minutes to play, before the Terriers closed the gap with seven of the final nine points before intermission.

St. Francis (7-5) continued its run after halftime by scoring the first seven points and forcing Lafayette to call timeout less than two minutes into the half. Kevin Douglas hit a three and then scored a on a transition layup before Cannon drained an elbow jumper after an offensive rebound. Cannon hit a pair at the line prior to Lafayette interrupting the 16-2 run with two free throws by Scott. He finished the night 11-of-12 at the charity stripe.

Lafayette's first field goal of the second half came more than six minutes in on Zach Rufer's floater in the lane after six more points from St. Francis completed the 22-6 run. Following Rufer's bucket that trimmed the deficit to 45-38, Isailovic drained his second three of the night to extend the lead to 10 points.

Following jumpers on opposite baselines by Michael Hoffman, Scott drilled another trey to cut St. Francis' advantage to 49-45 with less than 12 minutes to play. St. Francis pushed its lead back to nine points with back-to-back steals and layups on the other end. The second was finished by Sheldon Hagigal on an old-fashioned three-point play.

Trailing 60-52 with less than 4:30 to play, Monty Boykins found Lindner open in the wing and the freshman drilled the triple to make it a five-point game. Then, with 2:35 remaining, Ben Freeland made one of two free throws to pull the Leopards within four (60-56). The lead held at four points after Cannon and Trist traded baskets.

After calling timeout with 1:25 to play, Trist was fouled and hit one-of-two shots as Lafayette made it a one-possession game (62-59) with a minute to go. Needing a stop on the other end, Cannon's long jumper missed and Lafayette took over down by three with 30 seconds to play.

Joey Ptasinski found Scott open in the corner off the inbounds play for the tying three prior to Isailovic's heroics. Scott's 35 points were the most for a Lafayette player since Jim Mower '12 scored 37 against Fairleigh Dickinson on Nov. 22, 2011.

Lafayette returns to action in eight days against Seton Hall in South Orange, N.J. Opening tip from Walsh Gymnasium is scheduled for 8 p.m. and the game will air live on Fox Sports 1.

Game Notes:

Seth Hinrichs missed the game with a left knee injury and is out indefinitely.

St. Francis held Lafayette to season-lows in field goals made (19) and attempts (42).

Nathaniel Musters matched his career-high with two blocked shots.