OPENING TIP
- Lafayette plays its third straight opponent at least tied atop the Patriot League standings when it hosts Bucknell on Saturday afternoon in Kirby. The Leopards are coming off an overtime defeat in the second round of The Rivalry on Wednesday, falling to Lehigh by a 93-86 score.

- Saturday's contest will be the first of two meetings with the Bison this season. A nuance in this year's Patriot League slate, Lafayette has already played Army and Lehigh twice before playing Bucknell or Boston U. once in 2019.

- Senior Paulius Zalys is bidding to become the 45th player in Lafayette history to reach the 1,000-point mark for his career. Zalys currently sits at 945 career points, averaging 11.3 per game since the start of league play. An average of at least 5.5 points per outing the rest of the way will see Zalys accomplish the feat.

LAST TIME OUT
Sophomore Alex Petrie's falling-away runner down the right side of the lane with three seconds left in regulation forced overtime with preseason Patriot League favorite Lehigh on Wednesday evening at Kirby Sports Center, but it was all Jordan Cohen for the Mountain Hawks in the extra session as the Leopards fell by a final of 93-86.

Cohen scored 14 of Lehigh's 18 points in the final frame on his way to a game-high 33. The loss drops Lafayette to 5-15 on the year overall and 2-7 in Patriot League play, while the Mountain Hawks improve to 14-6 and 7-2 in conference action.

Junior Lukas Jarrett played his best game of the season as he continues to impress since the beginning of conference play. Jarrett scored 17 points on 6-of-7 from the field and 5-of-6 from the foul line, adding five boards, four assists, three blocks and a steal with just a single turnover. In Patriot League play, Jarrett is averaging 8.7 points per night, almost double his 4.5 points per game average in non-conference contests earlier this season.

Another bright spot was freshman Isaac Suffren, who scored a season-high 16 points on 6-of-9 from the field and 2-of-3 from the three-point line. Suffren added four rebounds and two steals, while sophomores Justin Jaworski and Petrie rounded out the Leopards' double-figure scorers with 15 and 12, respectively.

Both offenses were efficient on the night as both shot at least 50.0 percent from the field. Lehigh went 34-of-63 overall (54.0%) and 9-of-23 from distance (39.1%), while Lafayette countered at 30-of-60 overall (50.0%) and 12-for-28 from beyond the arc (42.9%).

THE SKINNY ON THE BISON
Despite losing three 1,000-point scorers to graduation, Bucknell has reloaded in the 2018-19 campaign and continues to find ways to win, sitting in a tie atop the Patriot League standings at 7-2 in conference play and 13-8 overall. The Bison are led by fourth-year head coach Nathan Davis and their only losses have come on the road at Boston U. on Jan. 5 and at American on Jan. 26.

Bucknell features five players that average more than nine points per contest, including 15.6 points per outing from Kimbal Mackenzie and 15.4 per game from Nate Sestina. Bruce Moore, Avi Toomer and Jimmy Sotos, who round out the Bison starting five, have put up 10.0, 9.3 and 9.1 points per night, respectively. Mackenzie is shooting 38.7 percent from beyond the arc this season, while Sestina is a Patriot League Player of the Year candidate, pacing the Bison on the glass with 7.6 rebounds per contest.

LAST MEETING
Lafayette hung with Bucknell for the majority of the game, but a cold stretch late in the second half proved to be the difference in a 74-59 defeat on Feb. 3, 2018 in Lewisburg.

Bucknell, winners of 10 straight games entering the contest, proved too much for the Maroon and White, converting 17 Lafayette turnovers into 30 points on the night. Alex Petrie led the team in scoring with 19 points on the night, while Paulius Zalys finished one rebound shy of a double-double, adding 10 points and three assists to his nine boards, with three coming on the offensive end. Myles Cherry was also a bright spot, scoring eight points to go along with four rebounds (three on the offensive end) and a block.

Lafayette went 22-of-53 from the floor (41.5%) and 6-of-17 from three-point range (35.3%), while Bucknell ended with a 28-for-62 mark from the field (45.2%) and 10-of-25 from long range (40.0%). The Leopards won the battle on the glass, 35-32, with each team ripping down 10 offensive rebounds.

Bucknell's efficiency was the difference, scoring its 28 field goals on 18 assists with just seven turnovers. The Bison edged the Leopards in the paint, 34-24, and in second-chance points, 12-8, while Lafayette finished with more bench points by a 23-19 margin.

BEAST WEEK
Saturday's game marks the third of three straight for the Maroon and White against the three teams entering the week tied atop the Patriot League standings. The Leopards dropped a 69-63 decision to Army on Saturday and fell by a 93-86 score in overtime on Wednesday night to Lehigh. 

HOT ICE
Freshman Isaac Suffren has made an immediate impact for the Leopards this season in his rookie campaign, especially in the last time out against Lehigh on Wednesday. Suffren tallied a career-high 16 points on his first multi-three game of the year, going 2-of-3 from distance and 6-of-9 from the field overall. The Charlotte, North Carolina native has started in 13 and appeared in all 20 games this season for the Maroon and White, averaging 6.5 points and 3.0 rebounds per contest.

FREE BASKETBALL
Lafayette has participated in four overtime games this season, dropping the first two at Saint Peter's and at home to Cornell before knocking off American on the road on Jan. 19 and falling to Lehigh on Jan. 30 at home. The Leopards took part in just one overtime game last season on Jan. 8, an 80-75 loss to Bucknell. Head coach Fran O'Hanlon carries a 23-26 mark in his career after regulation time.