WORCESTER, Mass. - The Lafayette men's basketball team dropped a 74-69 decision to Holy Cross in overtime on Wednesday night at the Hart Center. 

Senior Luka Savicevic and freshman Caleb Williams each scored a team-high 15 points, while senior Justin Vander Baan and sophomore Andrew Phillips netted a combined 26 points.

The Leopards dressed only eight players during this road trip, shorthanded due to illness and injury. This included the loss of floor general Mark Butler, who was the only player to start every game of the 2024-25 season until today.

Lafayette knocked down nine shots from downtown, with Savicevic (4) and Phillips (3) leading the team. The Crusaders made 13 threes of their own, with Joe Nugent, Kahlil Singleton and Max Green accounting for four in the last five minutes of action. Green's fourth three was his biggest of the night, breaking a 67-67 tie with 1:04 left in overtime. A pair of free throws from Green and Caleb Kenny solidified the win for Holy Cross as time concluded. 

As the game opened, the Maroon and White put together an 8-2, capped by a Savicevic three, but Holy Cross stormed back to take a four-point lead, 12-8, with 10 minutes remaining in the first half. The Patriot League foes traded shots before a three, courtesy of Phillips, knotted the score at 22 with just under three minutes to go. Crusaders Kenny and Singleton captured the momentum as the first half ended, making a shot each and taking a 29-24 advantage into the locker room. 

Lafayette played from behind for the first 10 minutes of the second half until sophomore Misha Bednostin converted a layup to make it 39-37 with 10:33 to go.

With the hosts holding a 48-45 advantage and looking for the knockout blow, Williams came through at the 4:36 mark to keep hope alive, converting an and-one to recapture a one-point lead, 49-48. Williams drilled another two, along with a Vander Baan layup, to make it 53-48 Lafayette with less than two minutes remaining. Another Vander Baan layup stretched the lead to 55-50 with 1:18 to play.

The Crusaders felt the pressure, relying on Green to drain back-to-back threes to retake the lead with 38 seconds to go. At the 15-second mark, Holy Cross fouled Vander Baan and sent him to the line, where he made one of two free throws and extended the game into overtime at 56 apiece. 

Holy Cross pulled away in overtime, outscoring Lafayette 18-13, with Singleton, Green and Nugent all knocking down three-pointers. The Crusaders totaled 4-of-5 from the charity stripe in the extra minutes.

Singleton and Green paved the way for the Crusaders, with 19 and 18 points, respectively. Holy Cross managed 19 points off turnovers. 

Next up, the Leopards host crosstown rival Lehigh on Saturday for Alumni and Senior Day, slated for a 5 p.m. tip-off. The game is part of a doubleheader with the Lafayette women who play Lehigh at 2 p.m.  

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