Skip To Main Content

Lafayette College Athletics

Lafayette Bench

Men's Basketball

Men's Hoops Travels to Washington, D.C. to take on American

Lafayette at American Game Notes

THE MATCHUP
The Leopards will get back on the road to take on American, which comes into the contest at 12-5 (4-2 PL), for the seventh Patriot League game of the season. The Eagles are led by junior forward Matt Rogers, who is averaging 13.6 points per game. American looks to bounce back from a two-game losing streak, falling to Lehigh (78-62) and Army (72-60). The Maroon and White aim to keep a three-game win streak alive Wednesday afternoon, after defeating Bucknell, Navy and Holy Cross in the last three contests.

LAST MEETING
The last meeting between these two teams took place in Easton, Pa. on Dec. 30, 2022. The Leopards fell to the Eagles 60-47 with CJ Fulton netting a team-high 12 points in the Patriot League opener.

THREE IN A ROW
The Leopards have won three games in a row for the first time since the shortened 2020-21 season. The Maroon and White captured victories over Holy Cross (62-48) Bucknell (74-67), and Navy (59-50). Senior Leo O'Boyle has led the Leopards averaging 17.3 points per game over that span.

THE BIG THREE
The Leopards have three players averaging double figures in Leo O'Boyle (12.6), Kyle Jenkins (11.1), and CJ Fulton (11.1). The trio has accounted for more than half of the Maroon and White's points during the first 19 games of the season.

FINDING THE FRESHMAN
Freshman forward Josh Rivera netted a career-high 18 points to go along with six rebounds against Bucknell on Jan. 8. Against Army on Jan. 1, Rivera managed 16 points and six rebounds in a losing effort. During the second game of the season against St. John's, the freshman scored a then career-high 17 points, five rebounds and two blocks.

FAMILIAR FOES
Lafayette has played 874 games against current Patriot League members, holding a 452-424 overall record. In League play, Lafayette is 201-272 in the regular season and 23-28 in the Patriot League Tournament.

CASHING IN AT THE CHARITY STRIPE
Senior forward Leo O'Boyle ranks first in the Patriot League in free-throw percentage at 91.7%. O'Boyle has netted 44 of his 48 free-throws attempted in the first 18 games played. He also ranks seventh in the conference in three-point field goal percentage at 44.2%.

DOMINATING DEFENSE
Lafayette has held three different opponents to 50 points or less this season. CCSU (50), Navy (50) and Holy Cross (48). The Leopards took home victories in all three of those games. The last time a Lafayette team held three or more opponents to 50 or less points was during the 2003-04 season.

1000 POINTS
Senior Leo O'Boyle is closing in on 1000 points as a Leopard. He will need to average at least 10.1 points per game over the final 13 contests to reach the century mark. O'Boyle currently averages 12.6 points per game.

THAT MIKE JORDAN
For the first time in 27 seasons, the Leopards have a new leader roaming the sidelines in 2000 Penn graduate Mike Jordan, the 19th head coach in Lafayette history. Jordan won three conference championships in the last four seasons as an assistant coach and was named head coach of the Leopards on March 29, 2022. Jordan played 11 seasons professionally across Europe and was a three-time All-Ivy League selection, two-time Ivy League champion and Ivy League Player of the Year.

BLOCK PARTY
Junior forward Kyle Jenkins registered four blocks in an overtime win versus Bucknell on Jan. 8. That marked the second game in a row that a Lafayette player has recorded at least four blocks. At Boston University on Jan. 5 sophomore Justin Vander Baan recorded four blocks in a 73-69 overtime loss, and two blocks in a 62-48 victory over Holy Cross on Jan. 14. Jenkins managed two more blocks in the victory at Navy on Jan. 11.

SHUFFLING STARTERS
The Leopards have used 14 different starting lineups throughout this season. Mike Jordan and his staff have shuffled through nine different starters through the first 19 games. CJ Fulton is the only Leopard to start every game this season.

OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION
The Leopards scored a season-high 90 points in their second victory of the season against La Salle on Dec. 21. For the first time in 13 games, the Maroon and White had four players score in double figures in CJ Fulton (20), Leo O'Boyle (13), Josh Rivera (12) and TJ Berger (10). The Leopards shot 61.5% from the field and 57.7% from beyond the arc.

FAMILIAR FACES, FAMILIAR FOES
Mike Jordan and the Leopards took on some old pals along the way, highlighted by the final nonconference test at La Salle against his college head coach, Fran Dunphy, who is also in his first season as the head coach of the Explorers. Lafayette hosted Jordan's alma mater, Penn, earlier this year and will play his former boss and college teammate, Matt Langel of Colgate, twice in the league stretch of the schedule. Jordan worked as an assistant under previous foe Drexel's head coach Zach Spiker in 2020-21, helping lead the Dragons to their first-ever CAA title and the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance in 25 years.

SOLO SENIOR
Just one senior is rostered for Lafayette in Leo O'Boyle, who plays a versatile role as a big body and a shooter. O'Boyle netted a career-high 24 points against Bucknell on Jan. 9 and has scored in double figures during 12 games. Senior day will be held on Feb. 11 against Boston U.

NEED SOME ASSISTANCE?
Sophomore guard CJ Fulton is second in the Patriot League in assists at 5.0 per game. In 19 games played, the Belfast, Ireland native has dished out 89 assists on the year. Fulton also ranks first in the conference in assist/turnover ratio at 2.5.

MAJOR MINUTES
CJ Fulton has led the Leopards in minutes played. In the overtime loss to Penn, Fulton played 42 minutes, scoring 12 points to go along with seven assists, and seven rebounds. Against UMBC, Fulton registered 39 minutes on the court. The Belfast, Ireland native also clocked 40 minutes versus St. Joseph's, where he totaled a season-high five steals. He currently ranks first in the league in minutes played with 36.0 per game. Teammate Kyle Jenkins sits behind him in fourth with 33.5 minutes per game.

KNOCKING DOWN THE THREE BALL
Lafayette ranked second in the Patriot League last season with 263 three-point shots made. The Leopards bring back some firepower from beyond the arc with senior Leo O'Boyle who knocked down 56 shots from three, sophomore Jon Brantley (44) and sophomore Kyle Jenkins (41). The Leopards are averaging 9.6 threes per game this season, ranking them first in the Patriot League.
Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Jon Brantley

#2 Jon Brantley

G
6' 3"
Junior
CJ Fulton

#4 CJ Fulton

G
6' 2"
Sophomore
Kyle Jenkins

#14 Kyle Jenkins

F
6' 7"
Junior
Leo O

#33 Leo O'Boyle

F
6' 7"
Senior
Justin Vander Baan

#15 Justin Vander Baan

C
7' 0"
Sophomore
TJ Berger

#20 TJ Berger

G
6' 4"
Sophomore
Josh Rivera

#55 Josh Rivera

F
6' 7"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Jon Brantley

#2 Jon Brantley

6' 3"
Junior
G
CJ Fulton

#4 CJ Fulton

6' 2"
Sophomore
G
Kyle Jenkins

#14 Kyle Jenkins

6' 7"
Junior
F
Leo O

#33 Leo O'Boyle

6' 7"
Senior
F
Justin Vander Baan

#15 Justin Vander Baan

7' 0"
Sophomore
C
TJ Berger

#20 TJ Berger

6' 4"
Sophomore
G
Josh Rivera

#55 Josh Rivera

6' 7"
Freshman
F