EASTON, Pa. - Men's basketball was thwarted by Bucknell, 75-69, on Saturday afternoon in Kirby Sports Center.

Freshman Alex Chaikin recorded a new career high with 23 points, including four 3-pointers. The Williamsburg, Va. native shot a team-high 7-of-11 from the charity stripe.

Caleb Williams (13) and Justin Vander Baan (10) also finished in double figures. Free throw shooting was important to the outcome as Bucknell finished 11-for-12 compared to Lafayette's 18-of-31.

The teams were knotted at 19 through the initial 10 minutes of play. Bucknell's Noah Williamson (5) and Lafayette's Chaikin (8) propelled their respective squads in the stretch.

The Bison then earned a 13-11 spurt, shooting 5-of-12 from the floor, to take a 32-30 advantage by halftime. Chaikin's five points, most notably a 3-pointer in the last minute, added to two apiece from three other Leopards as Lafayette trailed by two.

In the second half, the Maroon and White caught up using a 10-8 spell by the 15-minute mark, tied 40-40. Williams' 3-pointer at 16:24 gave the Leopards the upper hand briefly.

Bucknell retaliated with eight scorers in a 24-7 run to jump out to a 17-point lead, 64-47, at 6:35.

Lafayette rallied for a 15-3 spurt into the final minute, hitting both 3-pointers and adding seven free throws. The Bison kept on top by five points, 67-62.

Williams secured five points in the time the clock ran down as the Leopards were forced to foul and regain possession. Bucknell nailed 6-of-7 from the charity stripe to stay out of reach.

The Bison shot 52 percent from the field, led by Williamson's 24 points and eight rebounds, to sweep the season series for the first time since 2019. The opponents out-rebounded Lafayette 35-29, despite the hosts' 8-5 margin on the offensive glass. The Maroon and White shot 40 percent from the field overall and knocked down nine shots from long distance.

Mark Butler, the only Leopard to start every game of the 2024-25 season, saw only seven minutes of play before checking out due to injury and forcing head coach Mike McGarvey to go deeper into the bench guard. 

Next up, the Leopards travel to Holy Cross on Wednesday for a 6 p.m. tip-off.

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