Jared Mintz scored 20 points as Lafayette rallied to defeat Wagner 81-72 on Friday night in the season opener for both teams. Wagner took a 33-32 lead into halftime following a 3-pointer by Tyler Murray with one second on the clock. The Seahawks led 53-43 with 14:22 left when the Leopards went on a 13-4 run, keyed by Mintz's eight points, to draw within a point with 10:17 left. Trailing 70-69 with 3:10 remaining, Lafayette used a 12-2 run to seal the win. The Leopards were 8-for-8 from the free throw line down the stretch. Lafayette, which is playing its 100th year of basketball, improved to 47.1 percent from the field in the second half (16-for-34) after shooting 29.1 percent in the first (9-for-31). Ryan Willen added 15 points for the Leopards and Jeff Kari had 14. Ryan Conrad paced the Seahawks with 20 points and Chris Martin chipped in 14.
