EASTON, Pa. - Lafayette concluded the regular season with a win against Army, 83-77, on Saturday afternoon at Kirby Sports Center. During pre-game warmups, the Leopards celebrated the career of lone senior, Ryan Pettit.

Sophomore Mark Butler, who totaled 8-of-10 at the line, commanded the Leopards with 21 points, six assists and four rebounds. Lafayette recorded 23-of-29 attempts at the charity stripe and shot 49 percent from the floor.

The Maroon and White came ready to play, taking a 15-6 lead against the Black Knights to open the game. The Leopards connected for 6-of-11 from the floor by 10:31. Pettit, Butler Shareef Jackson each contributed four points in the burst.

At the seven-minute mark, Jackson muscled in a pair of layups to extend the advantage to 12, 26-14.

By 4:23, Army found its footing to make a 15-5 run, fueled by Jaxson Bell's six points, to get as close as 28-26. A 3-pointer by KaiMani Murdock allowed Lafayette more breathing room, resuming an eight-point advantage, 34-26, at 3:22.

The Leopards capped the first half up 37-26 with a buzzer-beating shot from beyond the arc by Andrew Phillips.

Following the break, Army hit 6-of-9 from the floor and added a trio from long range to grind back to a one-point deficit, 44-43. By the 13-minute mark, Jacen Holloway tallied seven points for the Black Knights.

Pettit and Misha Bednostin combined for seven points and two steals in the following two minutes (10:25) to return to a 53-46 advantage.

The Leopards kept out of reach thereafter, using a 10-6 spurt to the six-minute mark to lead 63-52. Five players contributed to the stretch with two points apiece.

Butler (5) and Caleb Williams (2) finished off the game at the charity stripe, going 8-for-10 during the stretch, in the 83-77 victory.

The Black Knights recorded 47 percent from the floor and totaled 10 3-pointers. Bell and Holloway each contributed more than 20 points with Bell grabbing a team-high eight rebounds.

The Leopards await seeding outcomes for positioning in the 2026 PenFed Credit Union Patriot League Men's Basketball Championship, which opens with first round games on Tuesday, March 3. Lafayette can clinch the No. 6 seed and a first-round bye in any two-way tie with Loyola Maryland or three-way tie with Loyola and Bucknell where Colgate finishes in front of Lehigh in the standings.


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