Lafayette Loses Its 8th Straight to Army

Lafayette has been desperately waiting all season for someone other than Nick Linder and Matt Klinewski to provide some offense for this team.

Although that wish finally came true against Army on Wednesday night, it still was not enough, as Lafayette lost their eighth straight game 80-73.

Sophomore Paulius Zalys led the way with 18 points, while Nick Lindner had 16 points and five assists, and Kyle Stout had a career high with 15 points.

Freshmen sharpshooter Stout finally had his breakout game everyone has been waiting for all season. Nine of his 15 points were 3-pointers, as he hit three out of four from long range.

With high expectations as a scorer out of high school, the early part of the season had been a struggle for Stout. The three-point specialist who shot 54 percent from 3-point range in high school, has just shot 32 percent from 3-point land this season.

“We’ve adjusted to the speed of the game,” Stout said before entering Wednesday’s game. “That’s the biggest change from going from high school to the college level… Getting more comfortable with the offense has helped us all with that.”

A Tale of Two Halves

For Lafayette, as it has been all season, it was a tale of two halves.

Although Lafayette led after the first seven minutes of the game 9-8, the lead did not last long. Army went on a 27-7 run in the next eight minutes and ended up accumulating a 46-26 lead by halftime.

But the Leopards came alive in the second half with the help of Stout. With 16:20 remaining in the second half, Lafayette cut the lead down to 13 with a deep Stout three, making the score 53-40.

With 10:42 remaining, Zalys hit a three, making the score 65-55. However, as with all of Lafayette’s games this season, the deficit early on was too large to mount a comeback victory.

The Leopards reduced Army’s lead to six towards the end of the game, but a big three pointer by John Emezi with 3:23 remaining was the ultimate dagger in the heart.

Mediocre Shooting

Lafayette shot 44 percent from the field and was just 6-17 from 3-point land. Army shot 48 percent from the field but just 10-34 from three.

Army had a balanced scoring attack in this game, as Fox and Emezie led the way with 18 points apiece. Mac Hoffman added 12 points and seven rebounds, while Thomas Funk had nine points, and eight assists.

Army advanced to 3-8 in the league, while Lafayette fell to 2-9 in league play. Lafayette is currently tied for last place in the Patriot League standings with American University.

3 Takeaways

1. The recent emergence of Kyle Stout bodes well for the Leopards. In the last four games, he is averaging 10.5ppg. The three three-pointers he hit in this game is the most he's had in one game this season.

2. Lafayette’s defense has been inconsistent all season long. Consider: In the first half, the Leopards allowed Army to score 46 points. In the second half, Lafayette held them to just 34 points.

3. Lafayette’s three-point shooting has been a struggle this season. They are shooting just 34 percent from three on the season. Two years ago, they shot 41 percent as a team.

Up Next

Teams: Lafayette College Leopards (6-16, 2-9) at Boston University Terriers (12-11, 7-4)

When: 12pm Sunday

Where: Agganis Arena, Boston

About Boston University: The terriers are coming off a loss to Navy on Thursday night. They are currently third in the Patriot League. They have nearly four players who average double figures in scoring. They are led by Senior guard Eric Fanning, who is averaging 15.8ppg, 6.5rpg, 2.0apg.