EASTON, Pa. -- Javier Duren hit a 3-point buzzer beater to lift Yale to a 79-76 win over Lafayette on Tuesday night.

Duren scored 14 points, and was 4 of 6 from beyond the arc, including the last-second trey that averted overtime in the close-matched contest. Armani Cotton scored 18 points and hauled in eight rebounds for Yale (3-3), while Justin Sears added 16 and Brandon Sherrod 13.

Lafayette (0-5) kept the score close but the Bulldogs opened the second half with a 9-0 run and led by as many as 10 points. The Leopards kept pushing and closed the gap in the final minutes with an 11-2 run, tying the game at 76 on a jumper by Joey Ptaskinski but leaving just enough time on the clock for Yale to get the ball to Duren for the game winner.

Seth Hinrichs paced Lafayette with a game-high 28 points.