EASTON, Pa. - Men's basketball was eliminated by Lehigh, 76-61, in Thursday evening's Patriot League Tournament quarterfinal game held inside a packed Kirby Sports Center.

Lehigh shot 53.9 percent from the field and had 13-of-20 attempts from 3-point range to secure an advance to the semifinals. The Maroon and White were held to just six buckets from long distance while shooting 38.7 percent from the floor overall.

Lafayette's top performance came through All-Rookie Team honoree Mark Butler with 11 points, six assists and five steals. Senior Kyle Jenkins and junior Justin Vander Baan concluded the year in double digits, netting 10 points apiece.

In the first half, the Leopards rolled out to an 11-6 advantage by the initial media timeout (14:26), fueled by Butler's six points.

Lehigh made a 13-5 run, including three back-to-back shots from beyond the arc, to take its first lead of the game at the six-minute mark, 24-16.

Burke Chebuhar led the Mountain Hawks to a 40-26 score at halftime, posting the difference-making six points in a 16-10 stretch before the break.

Both programs matched up to open the second period of play with Lehigh holding onto a 52-38 lead at 11:46. Dominic Parolin netted five points to command the Mountain Hawks, while Devin Hines and Kyle Jenkins each posted three for Lafayette in the spurt.

Lehigh sank another trio of 3-pointers at the 10-minute mark, staying out of reach, 63-38. Chebuhar and Nasir Whitlock chipped in for both sets of triples.

Ryan Pettit and Eric Sondberg then added their own long-distance shots for the Leopards, despite trailing 67-48 at 4:49.

Lafayette held the opponent to just four buckets until the final minute and made a 13-6 run in an attempt to close the gap. Three freshman added to the concluding Leopard effort: Andrew Phillips (4), Mike Bednostin (2) and Luke Rasmussen (1).

Chebuhar closed out the 76-61 decision with a 3-pointer, shooting 6-of-7 from beyond the arc overall. The senior forward led three Mountain Hawks in double figures with 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

The opponents out-rebounded the hosts 34-20, but Lafayette took the 9-5 edge on the offensive glass. Both teams connected on seven shots from the charity stripe for the evening.

The Leopards concluded the 2023-24 season with an 11-21 (10-8 PL) overall record.


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