EASTON, Pa. - Men's basketball controlled the evening against Army in a crucial 81-65 Patriot League win on Tuesday at Kirby Sports Center.

Freshman guard Alex Chaikin scored 27 points on a 7-of-16 outing from the floor and added four long-distance buckets. The Williamsburg, Va. native additionally nailed a career-high nine attempts from the charity stripe to help Lafayette go 20-for-25 overall.

Justin Vander Baan earned his second straight double-double on 11 points and 11 rebounds against the Black Knights. He holds a team-high eight under his career belt, five of which have come this season.

Andrew Phillips and Caleb Williams contributed a combined 27 points and 10 rebounds as the other two Leopards in double figures for scoring.

A 4-for-7 performance from beyond the arc set up Lafayette for an initial 16-8 lead by the 12-minute mark of the first half.The Leopards forged ahead using a 20-12 stretch, led by Chaikin's 11 points, for a 36-21 advantage at 2:53.

Army netted five points in the remaining minutes of the second half, but the Maroon and White kept on top 38-26 going into the break.

The squads played even through the opening three minutes of the second half before Army took an 11-4 run down to 13:18. The Black Knights closed the gap to seven with six and five points apiece by AJ Allenspach and Tate Laczkowski, respectively.

Lafayette retaliated with another 17-7 stretch over eight minutes, leading 68-51 at the five-minute mark. The Leopards hit 7-of-8 from the free throw line in that time.

Army used five scorers for an 11-10 edge thereafter until the final minute of play, unable to reach the Maroon and White, 78-62. Luka Savicevic posted six points in the spurt.

Phillips capped the contest with one final 3-pointer for an 81-65 finish.

Allenspach commanded the opponent with his own double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds. Army out-rebounded the hosts, 38-37, including an 15-5 margin on the offensive glass, while shooting 32 percent from the floor. The Leopards held the Black Knights to just five 3-pointers on 26 attempts.

Next up, the Leopards conclude the regular season at Boston U. on Saturday for a 1 p.m. tip-off. Lafayette holds a 12-18 (7-10) record, sitting in seventh place in the Patriot League standings, prior to closing out the final week before to the conference tournament.

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