HAMILTON, N.Y. (COLGATE ATHLETICS) –
Colgate closed the game on a 14-2 run to take the lead and then pull away from Lafayette 69-57 for its 10th consecutive victory Saturday afternoon in front of an energetic crowd at Cotterell Court.
The game was tied 55-55 when a layup by Ryan Moffatt sparked the final surge. Oliver Lynch-Daniels scored six in the run and Braeden Smith finished two tough drives while the defense held Lafayette to one basket with two turnovers over the final 4:18 of regulation.
Tucker Richardson posted his second consecutive double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds to go with four assists, one block, and one steal. Moffatt scored 13 points, and Lynch-Daniels and Smith netted 11 apiece.
Colgate shot 44 percent overall, slightly below its season average which ranked second nationally, but the Raiders connected on six of their last seven attempts from the field to extend the winning streak to double-digits and remain unbeaten in the Patriot League.
Moffatt sparked the Raiders with back-to-back early treys and Colgate led by as many as nine points in the first half after Smith drained a step-back jumper to make it 25-16 with 9:12 left in the half. But Lafayette turned the tides with a 13-2 surge and led 34-33 at the intermission.
There were seven lead changes in the second half and neither team led by more than three points until Colgate’s final momentum swing. Lafayette’s Leo O’Boyle made his second 3-pointer to tie the game at 55-55 but the Leopards only made one shot the rest of the way.
Colgate limited Lafayette to 23 total points in the second half and outscored the visitors 20-5 over the final 10:12 to pull away for the 69-57 victory.
“Playing against people you know is always hard. Playing against family is really rough. It’s no surprise that Lafayette played us as tough as anyone here. We’ve been in some close games during this Patriot League stretch and we’ve learned a little bit about ourselves each time. I’m proud of the way our defense dictated down the stretch.
“We wore suits and sneakers this week to help with the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) efforts to raise awareness for the American Cancer Society. Everywhere you turn, whether it’s in our own community or elsewhere, so many people are impacted by cancer. The NABC does a great job to raise awareness and encourage people at certain points in their life when doctors recommend it to get screened for cancer. Any chance we get to raise awareness for the American Cancer Society, all the better.
Colgate (16-7, 10-0 Patriot) stays in Hamilton to host Loyola on Monday night for a 7 p.m. tip-off on CBS Sports Network.
