UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (AP) - Senior guard Glenn Stokes scored 26 points as American beat Lafayette 74-55 Sunday night to advance to the finals of the Patriot League tournament.

The Eagles (16-13), who were seeded second, will play top-seeded Holy Cross Friday (4:30 p.m. on ESPN) on the Crusaders' home court in Worcester, Mass., for the automatic NCAA tournament bid that goes to the conference winner. Holy Cross defeated Bucknell 75-50 in Sunday's first semifinal.

It will be a rematch of last year's Patriot League final, when Holy Cross beat the Eagles at American. The Eagles will be trying to qualify for their first-ever NCAA tournament as a member of the Patriot League.

American never trailed and ended the first half with a 15-2 run, taking a 44-24 lead. Stokes hit four 3-pointers in the first half and six in the game. The senior's 26-point total was just one shy of his career high.

The Eagles' seven turnovers were a season low.

Lafayette (13-16), which was seeded sixth, was led by Rob Dill with 16 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Justin DeBerry, who equaled his career-high with 29 points in the Leopards' win over Colgate Saturday, was held to just four points and missed his three field-goal attempts.

Lafayette shot just 34.5 percent from the field and missed 16 of its 19 3-point attempts.