EASTON, Pa. - Lafayette men's basketball advanced to the Patriot League Tournament Quarterfinal after outlasting No. 10 Holy Cross, 69-68, during the first-round match on Tuesday evening at Kirby Sports Center.

The Leopards (13-19, 7-11 PL) move on to play No. 2 American in Washington, D.C. on Thursday. Live coverage on ESPN+ is set for 7 p.m. with tickets available here.

Three Leopards finished in double figures, led by Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year Justin Vander Baan's ninth career double-double (25 points and 11 rebounds). Freshman duo Alex Chaikin and Caleb Williams, selected to the All-Rookie Team on Monday, combined for 31 point and 10 assists.

As the game opened, Vander Baan's eight points helped Lafayette lead through the initial minutes of the first half, holding an 18-14 advantage at 10:55.

The Crusaders pushed back with a 17-8 run down to the three-minute mark, hitting 7-of-11 from the floor and 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, to take the momentum and the lead at 31-26.

Chaikin added five points thereafter, including a banked 3-pointer with two seconds on the clock. Holy Cross held the 36-31 lead at halftime.

The Maroon and White regrouped over the break to come out swinging with a 14-8 stretch in five minutes to get back on track, 45-44, at 14:55. Williams paced five Leopards in the span with four points.

By the seven-minute mark, Vander Baan and Williams combined for 13 points to stay afloat, 60-58, despite Holy Cross adding 4-of-6 from long distance.

The Crusaders continued to hit from outside, overtaking the lead at 1:59, 68-64 on a Joe Nugent 3-pointer. Vander Baan responded with a layup at 1:32 to close the gap to two.

Fouls by Caleb Kenney and Jaiden Feroah sent Chaikin and Williams, respectively, to the free throw line with six and four seconds left in the game. Both first-year players stepped up to the challenge with Chaikin making one shot and Williams netting both attempts, aided by the defensive unit's last stop as the buzzer sounded, for the nail-biting 69-68 win.

Lafayette did not give up a free throw to Holy Cross for the entirety of regulation. The Leopards tallied 15 of their 21 attempts from the charity stripe.

Holy Cross shot 48 percent from the field and out-rebounded Lafayette 39-30. Max Green and Nugent led the Crusaders with 17 points each, including a combined 10 3-pointers.

The Leopards travel to No. 2 American on Thursday for a 7 p.m. tip. 


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