EASTON, Pa. - Lafayette pushed past Navy, 78-62, on Saturday afternoon in Kirby Sports Center on its way to a 4-0 record in the Patriot League for the first time since the 2009-10 season.

The team shot a season-best 56.9 percent from the floor and sank eight shots from beyond the arc. The program went 12-of-19 from the charity stripe with 26 points in the paint.

Four Leopards ended in double figures for the second game in a row. Junior center Justin Vander Baan was Lafayette's main option, securing 19 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals. The Northbridge, Mass. native blocked a career-high six shots, adding to his 40 total stops which rank him sixth nationally.

Guard Devin Hines followed his classmate with 18 points and six rebounds while Mark Butler (15) and Eric Sondberg (13) closed out the group of Leopards in double figures.

Hines and Sondberg each posted five points to help Lafayette out to a 12-6 lead by the 15-minute mark of the game.

The Maroon and White released an offensive barrage, making a 20-9 run over the following nine minutes for a 32-15 advantage at 6:32. Six Leopards netted points in the stretch with Sondberg's five out front. The Leopards held Navy scoreless for six minutes in between.

The Midshipmen retaliated with their own 13-6 spurt to close out the first half, unable to overcome the 10-point gap. Lafayette led 38-28 as both programs headed to the locker room for the break.

Lafayette continued to show out offensively in the second half, extending its advantage by 14, 52-36, by the 12-minute mark. Half of the points in the stretch, including a deep 3-pointer at 13:48, were tallied by Vander Baan.

A jumper by Butler preceded a 9-2 Navy run to 7:15. Kam Summers hit back-to-back 3-pointers to fuel the Navy comeback, as the Mids trailed 54-45.

Hines traded buckets with Navy over the next three minutes, defending the lead with a big shot from beyond the arc at 4:21 to stay out of reach, 61-52.

Lafayette worked its way out of a 7-6 Navy stretch with two free throws apiece by Ryan Pettit and Butler with two minutes remaining to play. Lafayette led 71-59.

As the clock ran down, the Leopards made five-of-six shots from the charity stripe before Hines concluded the contest with a turn-around shot and a 78-62 advantage.

Lafayette held the Mids to 34.3 percent from the field on 67 attempts. Austin Benigni led Navy with 21 points, shooting 9-for-23 from the field with a single 3-pointer.

Lafayette out-rebounded the Midshipmen 37-34, but gave up a 15-5 margin on the offensive glass. 

The Leopards travel to Holy Cross on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. tip-off in the Hart Center.


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