OPENING TIP
* The start of a new win streak is on the Leopards' minds as they head to Army on Wednesday evening. Lafayette fell to Lehigh in its last time out, snapping a four-game streak of success, while Army has dropped each of its last two contests after a six-game winning streak through the second half of January.
* The Leopards are looking to salvage a split in the season series with Army, falling in the season's earlier meeting on Jan. 22 by a 94-74 score in Easton. 
* With a strong close to the season, Lafayette could be in line for its first 20-win season since the 2014-15 campaign. The Leopards have at least seven more chances to pick up the five necessary victories.

LAST TIME OUT
Lafayette never really got on track on Saturday afternoon inside a sold out Kirby Sports Center as Lehigh salvaged a split in the season series, sending the Leopards to a 62-59 defeat in The Rivalry.

Down by a 31-21 score at the break, Lafayette battled to pull back within three at the midway point of the second half and captured the lead on a Justin Jaworski triple with 3:12 to play. But Lehigh made the plays in the final three minutes to salt away the victory, dropping the Maroon and White to 7-5 in conference action and 15-8 overall this season.

Junior E.J. Stephens led all scorers with 14 points, going 5-of-5 from the foul line and adding a trio of rebounds. Senior co-captain Lukas Jarrett and freshman Leo O'Boyle chipped in with 11 points apiece as the other Leopards in double-figure scoring.

Lafayette shot just 6-of-27 from the three-point line (22.2%) and made 20-of-54 overall (37.0%). Its 21 first-half points were its lowest half of the conference season and second-lowest of the season overall.

LAST MEETING
Lafayette couldn't find a defensive answer on Jan. 22 at Kirby Sports Center as Army shot 62.5 percent from the floor in a 94-74 Patriot League defeat.

The Leopards, one of the Patriot League's best defensive teams this season, simply had an off outing, giving up their highest total of the season to an Army team that won its third in a six-game winning streak, the longest in program history. 

Senior co-captain Lukas Jarrett was a prominent bright spot, scoring a career-high 18 points on 4-of-7 from beyond the arc to go with a team-high four assists. Sophomore Tyrone Perry finished a bucket shy of his career-best with 17 on 4-of-6 from distance, while freshman Neal Quinn had his best offensive game of his rookie campaign with 14 points on 6-of-8 from the floor.

Army, entering the contest ninth in the Patriot League in three-point percentage, took advantage of open shots all night long, draining 12-of-21 from deep (57.1%), including a 5-for-7 mark from Lonnie Grayson, who finished with 19 points, one of five double-figure scorers. Matt Wilson led all scorers with 23 and Tommy Funk added a double-double with 19 points and 11 assists.

THE SKINNY ON THE BLACK KNIGHTS
Army, picked to finish sixth in the Patriot League Preseason Poll, sits at 6-6 in Patriot League play this season and 11-12 overall. The Black Knights used a six-game winning streak through the second half of January to right the ship after an 0-4 start to conference action, but have dropped each of their last two games to Boston U. and American by comfortable margins, 80-66 and 72-62 defeats. Head coach Jimmy Allen is in his fourth year at the helm in West Point, carrying a 50-68 mark into Wednesday's meeting.

Tommy Funk, one of the Patriot League's top players throughout his career and a three-time Patriot League Player of the Week this season, leads three Army players averaging in double-figure scoring with 16.7 points per outing. Funk is also the league's top assist man, racking up 6.7 helpers per night. Matt Wilson and Lonnie Grayson provide the bulk of the remaining scoring at 15.9 and 11.1 points per game, respectively, while Wilson paces the Black Knights on the glass at 7.5 boards per contest.

WHITE OUT SELL OUT
Saturday's rivalry game against Lehigh marked Lafayette men's basketball's annual white out game. Lafayette's student section, Leopards Lair, was decked out in white out t-shirts throughout the game for the first Kirby Sports Center sellout crowd since the Patriot League championship game in 2015.