PHILADELPHIA (Interstat) — Penn survived a second-half rally to edge Lafayette 74-72 in a nonconference men’s basketball game Monday night at The Palestra. The Quakers built a 41-33 halftime lead but were outscored after the break. Lafayette’s push fell just short in the final seconds. The Leopards dropped to 3-7 with the narrow defeat. Penn improved to 6-4. An announced crowd of 934 watched the contest.

PHILADELPHIA (Interstat) — In a game defined by a dominant start and a frantic finish, the Penn Quakers survived a furious second-half rally by the Lafayette Leopards to escape with a 74-72 victory in a nonconference men’s basketball game Monday night at The Palestra. Penn, improving to 6-4, appeared poised for a comfortable win after building a 16-point lead early in the second half, only to see Lafayette claw all the way back to set up a tense final sequence decided in the closing seconds. The Quakers established control from the opening tip, leveraging their size and efficient interior play to build a substantial first-half advantage. Augustus Gerhart, a 6-foot-9 forward from Denver, Pennsylvania, was instrumental in the early surge, scoring 13 of his 15 points before halftime. Penn shot effectively from the field in the opening period and took a 41-33 lead into the locker room, having led by as many as 12. The Quakers’ lead ballooned to 51-35 just over four minutes into the second half after a layup from TJ Power, who finished with 14 points. The Leopards, who fell to 3-7, looked listless and out of sync, struggling to contain Penn’s balanced attack which also featured 14 points from Dalton Scantlebury. The game’s defining shift began midway through the second half. Sparked by the backcourt duo of Caleb Williams and Mark Butler, Lafayette embarked on a 28-12 run over a nine-minute span. Williams, a junior guard from Jacksonville, Florida, scored 11 points during the surge, including a critical 3-pointer that pulled the Leopards within two possessions. Butler, a Philadelphia native, repeatedly attacked the rim, contributing six points and multiple assists to fuel the comeback. Lafayette finally drew even at 70-70 on a pair of free throws from reserve big man Misha Bednostin with 4:24 remaining. The teams traded baskets over the next three minutes, with Butler giving Lafayette its first lead since the game’s opening minutes at 72-70 on a driving layup with 3:40 left. Penn’s response was stifling defense and clutch free throws. After both teams endured a scoring drought marked by missed shots and blocks—including two key rejections by Lafayette’s Bednostin and Christian Humphrey-Rembert—the Quakers reclaimed the lead from the foul line. Power hit one of two free throws with 1:07 left to cut the deficit to one. Following a Lafayette shot clock violation, Power was fouled again and made the first of two attempts to tie the game at 72-72 with 41 seconds remaining. The most important sequence of the game unfolded in the final four seconds. With the score still tied, Penn’s Cam Thrower drove aggressively and was fouled by Mark Butler on a one-and-one opportunity. Thrower missed the first attempt, but Lucas-Allan Lueth secured the offensive rebound for Penn, extending the possession. Thrower was fouled again, this time by Misha Bednostin, with 4.4 seconds on the clock. He calmly sank both free throws to put Penn ahead 74-72. Lafayette had one final chance. After a full timeout, the inbounds pass went to Butler, who drove the length of the court but saw his contested layup attempt at the rim bounce off the glass and away as time expired, sealing the narrow victory for the Quakers. Williams led all scorers with 21 points for Lafayette, while Butler added 14 points and five assists. Andrew Phillips contributed 16 points for the Leopards. For Penn, Gerhart’s 15 points paced a balanced effort that saw four Quakers score in double figures. AJ Levine facilitated the offense with eight assists to go with eight points. Penn’s victory, witnessed by 934 fans, covered the pregame spread after closing as a 6.5-point favorite. The combined score of 146 fell well under the over/under line of 153. The Quakers next travel to face Rutgers on Dec. 20. Lafayette will look to rebound on Dec. 18 at Charlotte.

PHILADELPHIA (Interstat) — The Penn Quakers will look to rebound from their most lopsided loss of the season when they host the Lafayette Leopards in a nonconference men’s basketball game Monday night at The Palestra. Penn (5-3) enters the contest following a 77-60 home defeat to Hofstra last Sunday, which snapped a three-game winning streak. The Quakers had previously secured victories over city rivals Drexel and Saint Joseph’s, with senior guard Ethan Roberts averaging 30.5 points in those two wins. Roberts leads Penn in scoring and is coming off a 16-point performance against Hofstra. Lafayette (3-6) arrives with some momentum after a 79-71 home win over Mercyhurst on Friday. The Leopards were led by a career-high 24 points from sophomore guard Caleb Williams, who has scored in double figures in every game this season. Williams is averaging 17.4 points per game and has been a consistent offensive catalyst for a team seeking its first road win of the year (0-3). The matchup features a contrast in recent form. Penn has been strong at home, going 4-1 at The Palestra this season, with the lone loss coming in its last outing. Lafayette has struggled away from Easton, Pennsylvania, including a 97-60 loss at Texas and an 81-59 defeat at West Virginia. Historically, Penn holds a significant advantage in the series, leading 40-11. The teams last met in 2019, a 77-57 Quakers victory. For Lafayette, containing Roberts will be a primary defensive focus, while Penn must contend with Williams’ dynamic scoring ability. Lafayette’s Christian Humphrey-Rembert, who added 20 points and two blocks against Mercyhurst, provides an interior complement to Williams’ perimeter play. Following this game, Penn will travel to face Rutgers on Dec. 20, while Lafayette’s next contest is at Charlotte on Dec. 18. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST Monday at The Palestra.