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EASTON, Pa. – In a game that featured 22 combined three’s and both teams shooting comfortably over 50 percent from the field, Lehigh converted on 19 Lafayette turnovers to pull away late for the 87-72 win in the first 2015-16 edition of the rivalry at Kirby Sports Center.

“I thought we competed for 30 minutes and then we lost our poise and fell apart at the end,” head coach Fran O’Hanlon said. “They defended us well, had six blocks, which are like turnovers. We shot the ball well, but we just needed to get more shots.”

Shooting efficiency was definitely not the downfall of the Maroon and White (5-18, 2-10) on Monday evening as the Leopards went 28-for-52 from the floor (53.8%) and 10-for-22 from the three-point line (45.5%). Unfortunately, Lehigh matched that productivity, finishing at 32-of-56 from the field (57.1%) and 12-of-24 from distance (50.0%).

Senior Bryce Scott shot his way out of a slump, going 5-of-9 from beyond the arc for 19 points to lead the Leopards offensively. Sophomore Matt Klinewski and junior Monty Boykins joined Scott in double-figures with 17 and 12, respectively, while junior Nick Lindner chipped in with three assists, moving him into the top-five on the Lafayette career assists list with 384 helpers.

Preseason Patriot League Player of the Year Tim Kempton was a force for the Hawks, finishing with a points-rebounds double-double of 22 and 13 on an efficient 9-of-10 from the field, including a three from the top of the key. Jesse Chuku added 18 points, and Kahron Ross and Austin Price posted 16 and 15, respectively.

Both teams started out hot as the first empty possession came at the 17:31 mark with Lehigh on top, 11-7. Eight of those starting 11 came off the hands of Chuku, with two drained from beyond the arc.

A Zach Rufer triple off a kick-out by Lindner brought the Leopards within one at 11-10 and Scott’s first three since the Loyola game on Jan. 30 tied the game at 13 with 13:33 on the clock. Another from the senior on the following possession and a Klinewski lay-up forced a Lehigh timeout at the 12:13 mark with Lafayette on an 8-0 run.

Kempton’s turnaround in the lane stopped the bleeding at 10 straight for the Leopards with the home side up 20-15. Lafayette’s lead remained in that range over the next five minutes before another Kempton bucket off a pick-and-roll brought the edge to just one, 29-28, with 6:40 to play.

Boykins’ triple from the right wing in transition with 5:20 remaining helped balloon the lead back to six, 36-30, but a four-point spurt back from the visitors forced a Lafayette timeout with 4:22 to go and the score at 36-34.

Price’s bucket out of the break tied it up at 36 as the half moved into its latter stages. A Boykins effort in transition off a steal with 2:20 remaining put the Leopards up four, 40-36, but Lehigh responded as a Kempton block led to a run-out the other way to make it 40-38 with less than two minutes left. That edge held through the rest of the half as Lafayette took a lead into the halftime intermission, 42-40.

Lafayette’s lead lasted 3:29 into the second half as a Kempton finish through a Klinewski foul at the 16:31 mark gave Lehigh the 49-48 advantage. Both sides traded a pair of three’s from the 15:40 to the 14:50 mark as the visitors led 59-57 into the first media timeout with 14:10 remaining.

Back-to-back triples from Chuku and Price with 12:39 to play put Lehigh in front by its largest margin to that point, ahead by eight, 65-57. That lead stood through the eight-minute mark before a Rufer three from the top of the key with 7:50 remaining made it a five-point game, 73-68.

Lehigh moved its advantage back above double-digits over the next three minutes as a Chuku three made it 80-70 with less than five minutes to play. There was no comeback to be had for the Leopards over the final stretch as the game moved through to the buzzer with a final of 87-72.

Next up for the Maroon and White is a trip to Holy Cross on Wednesday. Tipoff is set for 7:05 p.m.