OPENING TIP
* Lafayette plays its first games since Jan. 24 this weekend against a familiar opponent in Loyola. The Leopards swept the earlier weekend set with the Greyhounds on Jan. 16-17, winning a pair of two-point tilts.
* Head coach Fran O'Hanlon is on the cusp of yet another milestone, needing a sweep this weekend to pick up his 350th career victory. O'Hanlon is one of just five Division I head coaches to direct the same program since the start of the 1995-96 season.
* The weekend puts two of the Patriot League's top-five scorers against each other as Justin Jaworski and Santi Aldama are first and fifth in the league in scoring at 21.5 and 17.1 points per night, respectively.

THIS YEAR'S PREVIOUS MEETINGS
Lafayette swept the earlier set between the two teams this season, winning in a pair of one-possession contests at home and on the road.

In the Jan. 16 outing, the Leopards led by as many as 16 in the second half, but needed to outlast a surging Loyola comeback down the stretch to win by a bucket in a 77-75 victory. Foul trouble led to easy Loyola buckets over the final two minutes as the Greyhounds cut it to a two-point margin, 74-72, with 15 seconds to play. Lafayette went up three and played the foul game, bleeding the clock and eventually running Loyola out of time for its fourth straight victory.

Senior co-captain Justin Jaworski and sophomore Leo O'Boyle provided the majority of the offense for the Maroon and White, scoring 25 and 19, respectively, with each hitting five triples on 10 attempts. Senior co-captain E.J. Stephens was also effective down the stretch after playing just eight minutes in the first half with foul trouble, finishing at 12 points with five boards, four steals and two assists.

As a unit, the Leopards notched their best assist game of the season, dishing out 21 helpers as a unit, led by six from junior Tyrone Perry. Seven different Leopards recorded at least two assists on the night.

The following day, Jaworski and Leo O'Boyle again carried the Leopards in the rematch, scoring 22 and 19 respectively in a 72-70 victory. Lafayette was in control for the majority of the game, leading by five at the halftime break and for more than 27 minutes in the contest overall. Jaworski and O'Boyle combined to go 9-for-16 from three-point range on the night (56.3%) and the Leopards went 11-for-25 from distance as a unit (44.0%) and 27-for-57 overall from the field (47.4%)

Freshman Kyle Jenkins and sophomore Neal Quinn joined Jaworski and O'Boyle in the double-digit scoring column with 11 and 10 points each. Quinn was impactful all over the floor, dishing out five assists and adding seven rebounds, with four on the offensive end.

THE SKINNY ON THE HOUNDS
Loyola, picked to finish third in the Patriot League Preseason Poll, got a late start due to an early season COVID-19 hit that knocked the Greyhounds out of the first two weekends. With this past weekend postponed as well, Loyola has played just five games this season and hasn't gotten the chance to find a rhythm, losing all five contests. The Greyhounds return three starters from a team that went 15-17 a year ago and 7-11 in conference play. 

Santi Aldama, a Patriot League All-Rookie selection a year ago despite playing in just 10 games, and a Preseason All-Patriot League selection, has been as advertised for the opposing side, averaging 17.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per contest to lead the squad in both categories. Jaylin Andrews and Golden Dike round out Loyola's double-figure scorers at 12.0 and 10.0 points per night. 

IN COACH O WE TRUST
Lafayette head coach Fran O'Hanlon is in his 26th year on the sidelines for the Maroon and White. O'Hanlon is the longest-tenured coach in the Patriot League, has won four conference titles and owns three NCAA Tournament appearances, including both feats most recently in 2014-15. The native of Philadelphia holds the overall Patriot League record for games coached with 757 and currently sits at 348 career victories.

O'Hanlon is one of only five head coaches to direct the same Division I program since the start of the 1995-96 season. O'Hanlon is joined on the list by Jim Boeheim (Syracuse), Mike Krzyzewski (Duke), Bob McKillop (Davidson) and Tom Izzo (Michigan State).

SIMPLE MATH
In the home win over Loyola on Jan. 16, Lafayette drained 14 threes compared to 12 two-point field goals, the first time finishing a game with more threes than twos since Feb. 10, 2019, a home win over Holy Cross. Justin Jaworski and Leo O'Boyle combined for 10 of the 14 triples on the night, while Kyle Jenkins made a pair, and Tyrone Perry and E.J. Stephens chipped in with one apiece.

LAST TIME OUT
Jan. 23 in Easton - Lafayette posted five double-figure scorers, but couldn't find enough stops against the defending Patriot League champion, falling to Boston U. by an 81-76 score.

Picked to repeat as Patriot League champion in the Patriot League Preseason Poll, Boston U., entering the game at 1-5, looked more like last year's version. The Terriers dominated the glass by a 38-30 margin, and dropped 10-of-22 from three-point range in the victory.

Lafayette was led by 20 points from Patriot League-leading scorer Justin Jaworski, while classmate E.J. Stephens added 13 and sophomore Neal Quinn, junior Tyrone Perry and freshman Kyle Jenkins chipped in with 12 apiece. The Leopards were able to connect on just six of 19 from long range (31.6%) on the night.

Jan. 23 in Easton -  Lafayette dropped a defensive battle to Boston U., suffering through a cold shooting night in a 64-61 defeat.

The Leopards had a chance to send it to an extra frame late, taking over possession with 11 seconds to play, down three. Unfortunately, efforts from freshman Jon Brantley and sophomore Leo O'Boyle fell short and long, respectively, before time expired.

Senior co-captains E.J. Stephens and Justin Jaworski paced Lafayette offensively with 17 and 14 points apiece, while junior Tyrone Perry added 13 on 6-of-10 from the field. Senior co-captain Dylan Hastings was stellar on the defensive end with five blocks to tie a career best.

Cold shooting was the story on both sides of the ball as the teams combined to go 8-for-49 from distance on the night (16.3%), 4-for-26 on the Leopards' side (15.4%). Lafayette went 21-of-62 overall (33.9%), but hit 15-of-20 from the foul line (75.0%).