QUEENS, N.Y.- The Lafayette men's basketball team dropped an 83-68 decision Saturday evening at St. John's in Carnesecca Arena.

Lafayette's top performers were Josh Rivera and TJ Berger with 17 points each, followed closely by senior Leo O'Boyle (14). The pair made six field goals, with Berger leading the Leopards with five 3-pointers.

Junior Kyle Jenkins got the scoring started for the Leopards, putting back a 3-pointer at 18:47, assisted by sophomore CJ Fulton. O'Boyle added two 3-pointers of his own shortly afterward to give the Leopards a 9-7 advantage early in the battle.

The Red Storm rallied for a six-point run, shut down by a layup from Rivera and a 3-pointer from Berger at 12:15.

Both teams battled through the remainder of the first half, as St. John's took a slight edge at 31-30, with just under five minutes remaining. The Red Storm mustered only three free throws by the buzzer.

Lafayette's Jenkins added a layup, assisted by Chris Rubayo, to keep a small St. John's lead, 34-32.  

O'Boyle sank another 3-pointer to match St. John's at the start of the second half, assisted by Rivera. The freshman Economics major would slam a dunk on the opponents just under twenty seconds later during a fast break.

The Red Storm kept Lafayette at bay until 14:03 when Rivera nabbed a layup and both Berger and sophomore Justin Vander Baan ripped 3-pointers.

The following St. John's ten-point run gave the team enough momentum to take the contest, despite extra efforts from Rivera, Fulton and Berger. The Leopards were consistent in their efforts to equal the Big East foe.

Lafayette fought to stay within range in the end, but a spurt of free throws secured the hosts the victory.

The Red Storm shot 52 percent from the field and had 32 points in the paint, 29 off the bench and 13 off turnovers. St. John's David Jones led the team with 20 points, shooting 50 percent for both field goals and 3-pointers.

The Maroon and White shot 42 percent from the field and had 16 points in the paint, 34 off the bench and 12 off turnovers.

The Leopards had the advantage in offensive rebounds at 9-6, but fell short overall on the glass (34-31).

The Leopards continue the five-game road trip at St. Joseph's on Monday for a 7 p.m. tip-off.

For the latest on the Lafayette College Men's Basketball program, follow the Leopards on Twitter @LafayetteMBB and Instagram @lafayettembb.