EASTON, Pa. — Freshman guard Max Green posted his first career double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds, but the Holy Cross men's basketball team was defeated by Lafayette 69-68 in the first round of the Patriot League Tournament at the Kirby Sports Center. The Leopards improve to 13-19 overall and move on to face American in the quarterfinals, while the Crusaders conclude the season at 13-19.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
• Holy Cross made 48.3 percent of its field goal attempts and 52.2 percent of its three-pointers on the night, while holding a 39-30 rebounding edge.
• Lafayette made just 42.4 percent of its shots from the floor, but held a 21-0 advantage in free throw attempts.
• Sophomore forward Joe Nugent finished the game with 17 points and three rebounds.
• Senior forward Caleb Kenney tallied 14 points, four rebounds, four assists and two blocks, while sophomore guard DeAndre Williams added 12 points, six assists and four boards.
• The Leopards were led by Justin Vander Baan with 25 points and 11 rebounds.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
• Lafayette opened the game by jumping out to an early 14-7 lead after the first six minutes of action.
• The Crusaders responded with a 12-4 run to take the lead, and went on to hold a 36-31 advantage at halftime.
• The Leopards began the second half with a 12-6 spurt to reclaim the lead, and eventually went back up by seven (59-52) with eight minutes remaining.
• Holy Cross then used a 13-3 run to pull back in front (65-62), and later held a 68-64 lead with less than two minutes to play. 
• But the Crusaders would not score again, and Lafayette made three free throws in the final seven seconds to come back for the win.

UP NEXT:
• The 2024-2025 season is now complete for the Crusaders.

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