LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Lafayette men's basketball team tightened up defensively late in the second half as junior E.J. Stephens' above-the-rim finish served as the only points in the final 4:55 on Monday evening as the Leopards downed Bucknell for their fourth straight victory, 65-62.
 
Lafayette came out strong in the opening half to take a 40-27 edge into the halftime break, but it took less than eight minutes for the Bison to erase the deficit and the final 12 minutes were all played within a one-possession margin either way. Junior co-captain Justin Jaworski, senior co-captain Lukas Jarrett and Stephens made the plays in the final five that won it.
 
Following a pair of free throws from Bucknell's John Meeks to put the home side up two, 62-60, Jaworski buried a triple on the next possession to put the Leopards back in front. Ten empty possessions followed as the game closed in on the minute mark before Jarrett's block led to a run-out slam from Stephens to make it 65-62. The Leopards sealed it with two defensive stops in the final 1:05.
 
The win snaps a nine-game skid for the Maroon and White in the series with Bucknell, last winning in the Patriot League Semifinals in 2015 on their way to a conference title. Lafayette improves to 15-7 overall and 7-4 in league play, secure in third place in the Patriot League standings until the rest of the conference returns to action on Wednesday, while Bucknell falls under .500 in Patriot League play at 5-6, currently 9-15 overall.
 
Jaworski followed up his career-high 32 points in the win over American on Saturday with a game-high 20 on Monday night, moving into 32^nd on Lafayette's all-time scoring list. Senior co-captain Myles Cherry ripped down 10 rebounds, while sophomore Tyrone Perry and Stephens added 13 and 11 points, respectively for the Leopard attack.
 
Jarrett, who missed his only game of the season in the earlier matchup with the Bison on Jan. 8, was a difference-maker in multiple areas, particularly defensively at the rim, tying a career-high with five blocks. The Northport, N.Y. native chipped in seven points, four assists, four rebounds and a steal as well.
 
Lafayette took advantage of cold Bucknell shooting over the game's first five minutes as Jaworski finished a tough layup through traffic for an early 11-4 advantage. Jarrett's baseline jumpers from either side sent the game to the 12-minute mark with the Leopards still in control, 20-11.
 
Bucknell got going through the midway point of the half, cutting to within seven at the eight-minute mark, 24-17. But Lafayette stretched it back to 12 at the under-four break, 33-21, and took the game to intermission with a 40-27 advantage.
 
The Bison opened the second half with some firepower, but Perry's triple from the left corner kept the Leopards' lead at eight, 46-38. Bucknell kept coming with seven of the next nine to force a Lafayette timeout at the 13:53 mark with the score at 48-45.
 
The home side earned its first lead of the night on an Avi Toomer triple in transition with 12:09 to play, but Jaworski's jumper brought it back even at 50-50 on the other end. Meeks' drive to the right side of the rim made it 58-55 Bison three minutes later, but Perry and Stephens responded with five back for the Maroon and White to take the game under the eight-minute mark with Lafayette on top by two, 60-58.
 
The two sides exchanged leads again over the next three-minute stretch as Jaworski's right-wing three, his fourth of the night, put the Leopards ahead by one, 63-62, with 3:39 to play. Just two points were scored over the final three minutes as Jarrett and Stephens combined for the winning score.
 
Next up for Lafayette is the second round of The Rivalry at Kirby Sports Center on Saturday as the Leopards welcome Lehigh for Alumni Day at 2 p.m.