TEANECK, N.J. – The Lafayette men's basketball team could have easily let it slip away on Sunday afternoon in Teaneck, New Jersey, trailing for the majority of the game and by a 62-52 score with 10:10 remaining. Instead, the Leopards rattled off 15 straight points to take a 67-62 advantage and carried that run to an 80-76 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson.

The Knights, coming into the game with a 3-1 record and an 11-point win over Princeton in their last time out, shot well, going 29-for-62 from the floor overall (46.8%). But Lafayette just wouldn't go away, earning its second win of the season to move to 2-3 on the year.

Junior Lukas Jarrett scored four points during the deciding spurt, netting a career-high 17 points on the day to accompany a game-high 26 from sophomore Alex Petrie. Classmate Justin Jaworski was the other Leopard in double figures with 11 points as Lafayette executed well on the offensive end to the tune of 54.2 percent from the floor (32-of-59).

The Maroon and White limited turnovers with just eight on the day, adding 14 assists with four coming from Petrie, tying a career-high. Junior Myles Cherry paced the Leopards on the glass with five boards, one of seven Lafayette players with three or more rebounds.

Both teams executed offensively right from the opening tip as a Jaworski jumper followed a strong baseline drive from freshman Isaac Suffren to give the Maroon and White an early 8-7 lead into the first break at the 16-minute mark. FDU took the next stretch, though, as a 9-1 run into the 12-minute timeout put the home side in front, 16-10.

Six straight from the Leopards pulled Lafayette back to within five at the 8:50 mark, but back-to-back triples from Jahlil Jenkins and Darnell Edge moved the advantage back out to nine, 27-18, with 8:22 to play. Lafayette hung tough through the latter stages of the half as jumpers from sophomores E.J. Stephens and Dylan Hastings pulled the score to a five-point margin, 33-28, but FDU kept it at a manageable distance into the halftime intermission, leading by a 40-33 score at the break.

Lafayette came out strong in the second stanza as seven straight from Jarrett and a Jaworski three pulled the Leopards within one at 44-43 with 17:14 left. But FDU answered with three straight triples of its own around a three from freshman Tyrone Perry to go back up seven, 53-46, with 15:58 left.

Another wave came and went for the Leopards around the 13-minute mark as junior Kyle Stout's floater pulled them within three, but Edge's triple made it 58-50 with 12:10 to play. Lafayette kept coming as back-to-back three's from Petrie and Jaworski made it a four-point game at 62-58 with 9:36 to play.

This time, the Leopards kept the momentum as another three from Perry and Jarrett's turnaround hook at 7:54 gave them their first lead since early in the first half, 63-62. Lafayette continued its success, pushing its lead to as high as six on a Petrie three to beat the shot clock, but FDU worked back within two at the final media timeout, 70-68, with 3:57 remaining.

The Leopards executed down the stretch, answering every Knights bucket with a bucket or free throws of their own as a strong Jaworski take down the left side of the lane put the edge at five, 76-71, with just over a minute to play. A corner three from Jenkins pulled the home side within a bucket, 76-74, but Petrie stepped to the line and knocked down a pair to push it back to four, 78-74.

With 15 seconds to play, Lafayette answered a Mike Holloway Jr. dunk with two free throws from Stephens to keep it at a two-possession lead, 80-76. From there, it was a strong defensive possession and a Suffren rebound that closed it out with an 80-76 final.

Lafayette returns home for its next two contests, hosting Cornell and Sacred Heart this week at Kirby Sports Center. The Leopards welcome Cornell on Wednesday at 7 p.m., with Sacred Heart coming to College Hill on Sunday for a 2 p.m. tilt.