OPENING TIP
* The Leopards look to continue their hot start in their  first of two games in four days against Widener on Thursday night. Lafayette is off to its best start since the 2014-15 season when the Leopards won seven of their first nine on the way to their most recent Patriot League title.
* The offense for the Maroon and White has been outstanding lately as the Leopards sit atop the Patriot League in scoring offense (75.5 ppg), field-goal percentage (50.7%),  three-point field-goal percentage (41.9%) and scoring margin (+5.2). Junior Justin Jaworski has been the catalyst, sitting second in the Patriot League in scoring at 19.8 points per night and third in three-point field goals per game (2.9).
* The Leopards are eyeing their 27th straight win against Division III opponents on Thursday night, last losing in head coach Fran O'Hanlon's first season at the helm in 1995-96. A season ago, Lafayette took care of Rosemont in its Division III game, using 15 points and 10 rebounds from Paulius Zalys '19 in a 95-54 victory over the Ravens. 

LAST TIME OUT
Senior co-captains Lukas Jarrett and Myles Cherry were the difference in a tight contest in Ithaca, New York on Dec. 7 as Cherry's triple with three seconds to play proved to be the game-winner in a 62-59 victory, the fourth straight for the Leopards.

Following a timeout in a 59-59 game with 13 seconds on the clock, junior Justin Jaworski drove with less than seven remaining away from the Cherry screen to draw a double-team on the left wing. The senior popped out above the circle, took the feed from Jaworski and drained it to put the Leopards on top. Cornell had a final heave at the buzzer, but it missed everything to seal the 62-59 win.

Jarrett was all over the floor for the Maroon and White, tying a career-high with 17 points, including 7-of-9 from the foul line. The Northport, New York native tied a career-best with five assists as well to go along with a season-high three blocks and five rebounds.

Cherry added 10 points and five rebounds on the day, while Jaworski chipped in with 10 points on 2-of-6 from beyond the arc. The Leopards went 21-of-47 from the floor overall (44.7%) and knocked down 7-of-21 from distance (33.3%).

The Leopards' defense was a difference-maker as it held Cornell under 40 percent from the field (38.1%) and gave up just three triples in 21 attempts from beyond the arc (14.3%). Big Red leading-scorer Jimmy Boeheim was as advertised, though, scoring a game-high 27 points with eight boards, three assists and two steals.

THE SKINNY ON THE PRIDE
In his 14th year on the sideline and 19th overall, Chris Carideo's Widener Pride looks to make a statement on Thursday night as a formidable opponent from the Division III ranks. The Pride enter the game at 10-0 overall with a dominant start to the season that has seen the visitors put up a +14.5 scoring margin through the opening third of the season. Carideo returns two starters from a team that finished 15-12 a year ago, falling to Arcadia in the MAC Commonwealth championship game. 

The Widener scoring is the product of its system as the Pride feature all five starters averaging more than nine points per outing. Elijiah Boyd and Jared Peters put up 12.7 points per night, respectively, while Kenny Lewis, Connor Laverty and Pat Holden add 12.0, 11.5 and 9.1 points apiece. The Pride will go with a steady eight-man rotation with all eight averaging more than 16 minutes per game. Lewis paces the Pride on the glass at 7.3 rebounds per contest and the defense as a whole has been stifling, allowing just 61.9 points and forcing 17.8 turnovers per outing.

GIMME A BREAK
Thursday's game marks the first during the interim period between the fall and spring semesters for the Maroon and White. Lafayette will play 10 games without class in session before the spring semester begins on Jan. 27.

HOT START
The 6-2 start for the Maroon and White is its best start since the 2014-15 season, a year in which the Leopards won seven of their first nine on their way to a Patriot League title. The Leopards already have more wins through eight games this season than they had the last two seasons through eight contests combined, starting 2-6 in 2017-18 and 2-6 in 2018-19.

The offense has been the difference-maker early in the season, leading the Patriot League at 75.5points per game. The Leopards have shot better than 50 percent from the field in five of their six victories, averaging a league-best 50.7 percent from the floor overall, good enough for ninth nationally. Additionally, Lafayette has led at the half in six of the eight games to open the year and also leads the Patriot League in three-point percentage (41.9), three-point percentage defense (30.3), scoring margin (+5.2), blocks (4.0 bpg) and rebounds allowed per game (30.1).

FINDING WAYS TO WIN
Lafayette has found different ways to win this season as its defense has complemented the offense more than in years past. The Leopards sit third in the Patriot League in scoring defense, giving up just 70.2 points per game, and have run opponents off the three-point line this season, allowing a league-best 30.3 percent of opponent threes to find the bottom of the net. 

The last two outings are a perfect example as the Leopards put up 94 points in a win at Saint Joseph's and followed that up with a 62-point performance that still resulted in a victory at Cornell. If Lafayette keeps up its defense at the current 70.2 points allowed per contest pace, it would be the best defensive team since the 2012-13 squad that gave up just 69.1 points per night.

EVERYBODY HITS!
The performance of this year's team from beyond the arc has been outstanding with the group leading the Patriot League and currently ninth in the nation in three-point percentage at 41.9 percent from deep. Lafayette has six different players averaging more than 40.0 percent from three-point range, including two of its top-three shooters in terms of attempts above the 44 percent mark. Tyrone Perry and Justin Jaworski are converting at 44.8 and 44.2 percent clips from distance, with Perry's rate good enough for fifth in the Patriot League rankings. Even senior Myles Cherry has gotten in on the action, going 6-of-8 from deep this winter, including the game-winner at Cornell, after entering the season with just four career triples over his first three years on College Hill.