WEST POINT, N.Y. - Men's basketball held off Army until a last-second buzzer-beating verdict, 70-68, on Wednesday evening in Christl Arena.

Army's final drawn play for Jalen Rucker left the senior guard credited with the game-winning mid-range jumper as time expired.

Leopard center Justin Vander Baan paced four Leopards in double figures with 17 points, three rebounds and two assists. The Northbridge, Mass. native added five blocks this evening for 150 career stops, keeping him third all-time on College Hill. He needs 11 more swats to move into the second slot during his senior season.

Overall, the Maroon and White shot 54 percent from the floor and recorded nine shots from long distance.

Lafayette opened the first half by shooting 5-of-6 from beyond the arc for a 21-14 advantage at 10:41. Freshman Caleb Williams netted three of the five long-range buckets.

Neither program would score thereafter until 6:37, when the Black Knights earned a 9-5 spurt down to the three-minute mark, closing the gap to three, 26-23.

The Leopards sank three from the floor and three from the charity stripe in the remaining minutes, propelled by Mark Butler's four points, to command a 35-26 lead at the halftime break.

Andrew Phillips sank a 3-pointer just six seconds into the second period, prior to a 15-2 Army run that stole the lead, 41-40, at the 14-minute mark.

The Black Knights hit 3-for-4 from beyond the arc in the following four minutes to extend the lead to a game-high eight, 54-46.

Lafayette climbed back to a three-point deficit, 59-56, at the seven-minute mark. The 10-5 stretch saw five points by Alex Chaikin, comprised of a trio of foul shots and a dunk.

Even play down to the final minute left the Maroon and White trailing by one, 68-67, thanks to a pair of baskets each from Butler and Vander Baan.

Butler was fouled with 22.6 seconds left to play and he made one free throw to tie the contest.

In Army's final possession, Rucker fired off the buzzer-beating mid-range jumper after taking a timeout to secure the 70-68 decision.

The Black Knights shot 48 percent from the field and netted 10 3-pointers, seven of which came in the second half. Rucker led the hosts with 29 points, shooting 12-for-18 from the field.

Next up, the Leopards host Colgate on Saturday at 1 p.m.
 

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