ITHACA, N.Y. – Senior co-captains Lukas Jarrett and Myles Cherry were the difference in a tight contest in Ithaca, New York on Saturday afternoon 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 Lafayette men's basketball team.
 
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.
 
It was a choppy start as the two teams combined for just 20 points over the first eight minutes as Jaworski's banked-in triple at the end of the shot clock tied it at 10-10. The sides began to settle in over the next five-minute stretch as Cherry's sweeping hook shot across the lane at 7:31 put the Leopards up three, 17-14.
 
The next four minutes were all played within the margin of a bucket as Jaworski's finish through the lane made it 25-24 with 3:30 to play in the half. Sophomore Isaac Suffren's deep triple from the right wing with 22 seconds left sent the game to the break with Lafayette up three, 31-28.
 
Cornell opened the second half on the front foot, regaining the lead by a 36-35 margin after four minutes on a Boeheim layup. But the defense sparked a 7-0 run around the 14-minute mark as junior E.J. Stephens' steal led to a run-out from sophomore Tyrone Perry to force a Cornell timeout with Lafayette back in front by four, 42-38.
 
That momentum continued through the 12-minute mark as Jarrett's post bucket through a foul put the edge at six, 46-40. Then, the offenses went cold again for both sides, managing just nine combined points over the next six minutes with the Leopard lead at three, 49-46.
 
Cornell began to execute and Lafayette lagged as the Big Red went up three, 55-52, to force a timeout with 3:29 to play. After trading buckets over the next two minutes, it was Cherry time as the senior knocked down back-to-back buckets in the final 35 seconds to win it.
 
Lafayette improves to 6-2 on the year, while Cornell falls to 1-7. The Leopards head into another long break for finals before returning to Kirby Sports Center in their next contest on Dec. 19, hosting Widener at 7 p.m.