CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Lafayette dropped an 81-67 final at Charlotte on Thursday at Halton Arena. The hosts hit 17 three-pointers to shoot a blistering 54.8% from beyond the arc.
 
Andrew Phillips was one of four members of the Maroon and White to score at least 10 points, finishing with 16. In 34 minutes of action, the junior forward was 6-of-12 from the field and 4-of-9 from downtown. Caleb Williams (12), Christian Humphrey-Rembert (12) and Mark Butler (11) followed Phillips' lead.

Charlotte's Arden Conyers finished the game with a team-high 15 points. Damoni Harrison and Kuluel Mading tallied 12 and 10 points, respectively. 

The lead changed hands four times in the first five minutes. Williams was responsible for two lead changes, drilling a three (15:46) prior to working his way to the basket for a layup (14:50) and a 7-6 lead.
 
The hosts responded minutes later, courtesy of Conyers and Spencer Elliott. Conyers knocked down a triple to regain the 49er advantage before Elliott used a mid-range jumper for two points of his own (11-7).
 
Throughout the remainder of the first half, the 49ers showcased their ability to shoot the ball from deep. From 8:43 to halftime, Charlotte went on a 19-7 run, with 15 of its points coming via the triple. Phillips was responsible for five of Lafayette's seven points in the stretch.
 
In the first half, the hosts netted eight of their 14 attempts from downtown to take a 36-22 lead at the break.

The Leopards opened the second half with some quick action. At the 19:21 mark, Butler connected with Humphrey-Rembert for a three (36-25). Less than a minute later, Williams tallied another triple, cutting the deficit to 36-28.

The 49ers kept Lafayette at bay in the second half. The Maroon and White wouldn't go away quietly down the stretch. With 3:09 remaining, Phillips notched another long-range shot, cutting into the score, 72-55. Charlotte drained another three, but Butler found his way to the basket immediately after (75-57). Humphrey-Rembert drilled consecutive threes to pull within 12 (75-63) with 1:23 on the clock. The Leopards' late rally wasn't enough, as the hosts solidified an 81-67 final.

Charlotte shot 52 percent from the field to Lafayette's 42 percent. The 49ers' bench was responsible for 44 of 81 points.
 
Rookie Shareef Jackson paced the team in rebounds, with six, while Butler racked up six assists to accompany his 11 points.
 
Lafayette remains on the road, traveling to Atlanta, Ga. for a 2 p.m. contest with Georgia Tech on Saturday.
 
 
 
For the latest on the Lafayette College men's basketball program, follow the Leopards on Twitter @LafayetteMBB and Instagram @lafayettembb.