EASTON, Pa. - Lafayette finished the non-conference homestand with a 78-60 loss to a nine-win Quinnipiac on Thursday afternoon in Kirby Sports Center.

The Maroon and White had three players finish in double figures: Mark Butler (11), Justin Vander Baan (11) and Eric Sondberg (10). Sondberg recorded six rebounds while Vander Baan blocked three shots.

The Bobcats shot 46.8 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from beyond the arc overall. Preseason All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference First-Team honoree Matt Balanc led Quinnipiac with 22 points, shooting 50 percent on 14 attempts from the floor and adding six rebounds.

The Bobcats secured a 20-13 lead by the 11-minute mark. Eight Quinnipiac athletes put points on the board in the advantage, led by ­Balanc with four. The Leopards were commanded by freshman Butler and senior Kyle Jenkins with four and three points, respectively.

Lafayette closed the gap to three (22-19) at 7:49 with back-to-back buckets by Chris Rubayo who also finished the game with a career-high four blocks.

Sondberg sank a 3-pointer at 2:39 to halt an 8-2 Quinnipiac run, trailing 30-24, and Lafayette trailed 34-28 at halftime. Butler knocked down a pair of last-second jumpers and was four-for-four from the floor and had three assists in the first 20 minutes of play.

Quinnipiac edged the Maroon and White with a 9-7 run, 43-35, to open the second half. All seven of Lafayette's tallies to 17:14 were netted by Devin Hines.

A bucket by Sondberg from beyond the arc at 14:09 kept the Leopards within five, 47-42.

The Bobcats began to pull away using an 11-4 run to the 10-minute mark when they led 58-46. Balanc and Amarri Tice both secured five points during the stretch.

Lafayette made an 11-8 run down to 6:09, fueled by seven points from Vander Baan, to trail 66-57. Balanc and the Bobcats put the contest out of reach with a final 12-3 spurt over the final six minutes.

Quinnipiac out-rebounded Lafayette 44-30, including a 13-6 margin on the offensive glass that led to Quinnipiac's 22 second-chance points.

The Leopards conclude the non-conference slate on Dec. 30 at Richmond. Tip-off is slated for 4 p.m. against the Spiders.

Patriot League play begins on Jan. 3 against Army back in Easton, Pa.


For the latest on the Lafayette College men's basketball program, follow the Leopards on X @LafayetteMBB and Instagram @lafayettembb.