EASTON, Pa. - Men's basketball battled Mercyhurst to the final seconds in a 77-73 victory on Saturday afternoon at Owen McCormick Court.

Freshman Alex Chaikin led three Leopards in double figures with 20 points, shooting seven-of-eight from the floor and six-of-seven from 3-point range.

Justin Vander Baan netted 13 points to go with five blocks and six boards. His five blocks against the Lakers place him third all-time in career blocks for Lafayette with 124. Andrew Phillips rounded out the trio with 10 points. The Maroon and White shot a season-high 51 percent from the field and knocked down 11-of-22 from long distance.

The Lakers opened the game with a four-of-five shooting performance from beyond the arc for an initial 20-10 advantage at the 12-minute mark.

A 3-pointer by freshman Caleb Williams led the way for Lafayette as Mercyhurst took a 10-6 stretch filled with a trio of 3-pointers to hold on to the lead, 30-16 at 6:09.

Malik Rasul and Chaikin (2) each hit 3-pointers to finish out the first half and close the gap to seven, 38-31.

Lafayette opened the second period with a 7-0 spurt by 17:17 to tie the game, 38-38, and force a Laker timeout.

Mercyhurst took a 13-11 edge over the following seven minutes, however Luka Savicevic knocked down a 3-pointer at 10:57 to put the Leopards out front, 52-51.

Five points by Phillips led the way in a 12-10 Lafayette stretch to the five-minute mark to keep afloat, 64-61.

Even play thereafter saw a one-point advantage for Lafayette, 73-72, with just 4.9 seconds on the clock. The Lakers fouled Vander Baan to regain possession, but the senior co-captain smoothly made both free throws.  

Chris Rubayo, returning from a preseason injury, finished the job with a pair from the charity stripe for the 77-73 victory.

The hosts shot 47.1 percent from the field and 52.2 percent from long distance, captained by Shemar Rathan-Mayes with 21 points and four assists. Lafayette out-rebounded the opponent 30-22, including an 11-6 margin on the offensive glass.

A 10-day break following today's contest will coincide with Lafayette's final exams period. Next up, men's basketball travels to George Washington for a 7 p.m. tip-off on Dec. 18.
 
For the latest on the Lafayette College men's basketball program, follow the Leopards on Twitter @LafayetteMBB and Instagram @lafayettembb.