By Michael Kelley ’14

Photo by Jack Fedak IV/ The Lafayette

Prior to what could have been his final game, co-captain Rob Delaney ‘12 said, “We [the seniors] need to show the younger guys what needs to be done.”

The five seniors did just that, combining to score 64 points in an 84-76 win against Holy Cross in the first round of the Patriot League Tournament Wednesday night.

Led by Delaney’s 25 points, the Leopards eliminated the Crusaders from the Patriot League Tournament for the third straight year, two of them on the road in the Hart Center in Worcester, MA. When asked about why the team is so successful against Holy Cross on the road, Jim Mower ’12 said, “We are familiar with the arena and once we get some shots dropping, we don’t let the crowd affect us.”

Mower dropped 18 points, including four 3-pointers. Ryan Willen ‘12 contributed 12 points and Nick Petkovich ’12 came off the bench to provide 9 points, all coming from 3-pointers. Willen also dished out six assists, a season high.

One of the major strategies going into the game was getting off to a fast start to build confidence in the rowdy Hart Center and Lafayette did just that, starting off the game on a 12-2 run. Delaney started it with a three pointer and the rest of the team followed suit, never allowing Holy Cross to lead. “You see one shot go in, then you start to feel more confident,” Mower said. “It was do or die time and we knew we had to come out strong.”

For the seniors, there was a different feel going into the game, knowing this is their last chance for a Patriot League Championship.

“To be honest, as a senior, you’re just kind of nervous because you’ve been playing this game for so long and you don’t want this to be your last game,” Delaney said. “Once we got here and everybody got warming up and hyped, I was pretty confident.”

“The last few days, we’ve had intense practices and a lot of guys have been stepping it up,” Willen said. “The guys that aren’t playing as much have really been pushing the guys who are. Coach O’Halon’s teams always play well near the end of the year and tonight, I think we showed that this team is no exception.”

Despite what might arguably be their best start to a game this season for Lafayette, the Crusaders did not go away quietly, cutting what was once a 14 point first half lead to five going into halftime. Devin Brown ’12, a second-team all Patriot League Player for Holy Cross, led the 13-2 run that turned things around. “Devin Brown is a tremendous player, someone who we have competed with for four years,” Delaney said. Brown finished with 17 points in his final game as a Crusader.

Things heated up even more in the second half. With 11:20 to play, a layup by Holy Cross tied the game at 56. Mower came right back, going on a mini 5-0 run to reestablish the lead and swing the momentum back in Lafayette’s favor. Delaney expected nothing less from the senior. “We have those kids on the team, guys who know how to step up in the biggest moments,” Delaney said. “Holy Cross has Brown and we have some seniors who have been in some big time games over the years.”

Back and forth from there, the game finally came down to free throws and Lafayette did not pass up the opportunity to close it out. They knocked down eight straight free throws to end the game.

Overall, Lafayette shot 58.5 percent from the field, their highest percentage of the season. But the real highlight of the game was from beyond the arc, as the Leopards shot a combined 13 of 19.

The team was without the services of guard and co-captain Tony Johnson ’13, who is out with a broken foot, so Delaney switched into the point guard position, something he will have to do again tomorrow against Bucknell.