EASTON, Pa. – Lafayette erased a 15-point deficit over the final eight minutes and Tyrone Perry connected on the game-winning 3-pointer with 2.6 seconds left to lead the Leopards to a 71-67 victory over Colgate on Wednesday.
 
The loss snaps Colgate's 15-game winning streak against conference opponents, which was the third longest streak in the country. In uncharted territory, this was the Raiders' first Patriot League loss since Feb. 2, 2019. 

Credit to a Lafayette team that did not go away. Colgate led 60-45 with 7:26 left in regulation, but suddenly the Leopards could not miss. Perry drained a pair of 3-pointers in a relentless 14-0 run that turned a 60-45 lead into a one-point game 60-59 four minutes later.

 
Lafayette (11-5, 3-2 Patriot) jumped ahead 64-62 for its first lead of the half on another 3-pointer from Lukas Jarrett with 2:10 showing on the clock. Rapolas Ivanauskas answered right back to tie the game 64-64 and the two teams traded baskets over the next minute.
 
Colgate (13-5, 4-1 Patriot) inched back on top 67-66 on a 3-pointer from Nelly Cummings with 1:09 left. The Raiders got the ball back with the same score after an offensive foul, but an errant 3-pointer with 26 seconds left gave the Leopards the ball back still down one.
 
With the shot clock and game winding down, Lafayette's Perry took an off-balance 3-pointer from the corner and swished the game winner with 2.6 seconds left. Myles Cherry all but solidified the Leopards' win with a steal and two free throws to secure the 71-67 final score.
 
Lafayette's Perry finished with 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field and 5-of-8 from beyond the arc – all were career-best marks. Five Leopards finished in double figures.
 
Both teams went back-and-forth in the first half, with neither team leading by more than five points until the final minutes of the frame. Tucker Richardson scored five straight points before a Keegan Records layup pushed the Raiders in front 13-10 with 12 minutes left.
 
Colgate held one-point leads of 22-21, 24-23, and 26-25 before using a late 9-0 run to build separation. Eight of the nine points came in the paint on layups from Records, Ivanauskas, Jordan Burns, and a traditional three-point play by Will Rayman to fuel a 34-31 lead at the intermission.
 
Burns converted another and-one five minutes into the second half and Colgate grew its lead to 48-38. The Raiders led by double digits for most of the second half, including a game-high 15 points 58-43 with eight minutes left in regulation.
 
But from that point forward, Lafayette closed the game on a 28-9 run to earn the victory.

BOTTOM LINE
Lafayette 71, Colgate 67

QUOTES
Head Coach Matt Langel
On the game:
"Credit Lafayette. They played terrific, they made every shot and finished every play they needed to down the stretch. We have talked with our team about this a lot: being down 15 against the only undefeated team left in the league, you have nothing to lose. Lafayette played that way and stepped up with some huge shots.
 
"I am proud of our group for putting us in the position we were in for the first three quarters of the game to be up 15 on the road. We will see what the film says, but our defense was the best it has been in some time. We just have to finish the deal."
 
On the final eight minutes:
"I did not do a great job of managing the game as we got into the guts. We did get a couple open shots, but we did not finish those plays. That led to a lot of chances for Lafayette in transition. Credit to them with their backs against the wall. They played great."
 
On the next two games coming up in Hamilton:
"Hopefully we can take a lot from this and learn and grow. This group has responded when we have faced adversity and this is definitely some adversity to lose a big lead on the road. Now we are headed home to face two teams with the same record as us."
 
GAME NOTES

• Burns led the Raiders with 16 points on 5-of-13 from the field.  
• Richardson finished with 14 points and was one of four Raiders with three assists.
• Ivanauskas (12) reached double figures for the seventh straight game.
• Colgate shot 45% (28-of-62) from the field, but a season-low 21.7% from downtown.
• The Raiders were 2-of-12 in the first half and 3-of-11 in the second half.
• Colgate ranks seventh in the nation in 3-pointers made per game (10.6), but finished with a season-low five in this game.
• The game was an 11 a.m. tip-off for Lafayette's School Day contest, which welcomed over 1,200 children from the Easton School District.   

UP NEXT
Colgate looks to bounce back at home on Saturday, when Boston University comes to town for a 2 p.m. tip-off at Cotterell Court. Patriot League Network will carry the livestream.