DES MOINES, I.A. (Colgate Athletics) –

Second-seeded and fifth-ranked Texas used a 14-1 run midway through the first half to break open a close game and went on to defeat 15th-seeded Colgate 81-61 in the first round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament.

Leading 21-17, the Longhorns started a three-point shot barrage, making four in a row during the stretch to take a 35-18 lead. The Raiders went over five minutes between buckets with Ryan Moffatt breaking the string with a layup.

A second layup from Keegan Records pulled Colgate to within 13 but a hook shot in the lane gave Texas a 37-22 lead at the four-minute media timeout. Jeff Woodward’s layup cut Texas’ lead to 11 and Moffatt dropped in another drive to complete a 10-2 run for the Raiders and reduce the deficit to single digits.

Woodward deposited another layup to cut the gap to 37-30. A pair of free throws and a Longhorn layup moved the score to 41-30 until two free throws by Moffatt made the halftime score 41-32.

Texas connected on 8 of 15 three-point attempts in the first half, while the Raiders, the top three-point shooting team in the country, were just 2 for 8 from long range. Each team shot 48 percent from the field in the opening stanza.

Texas hit its first three trifectas of the second half to help push the lead to 56-42. The Raiders got five straight points from Moffatt to again reduce the deficit to nine, but two more threes by the Longhorns moved the lead to 62-47. The teams traded baskets for a 66-53 Texas advantage at the under-12 media timeout.

Coming out of the break Records and Oliver Lynch-Daniels scored in the paint to complete a 10-2 Raider streak and bring Colgate back to within 66-57, forcing a Longhorn timeout with the crowd trying to will Colgate back into it. The teams traded a pair of baskets but Texas then went on a 5-0 spree to make the score 73-57.

Texas closed out the game, scoring eight of the game’s final dozen points for the 81-61 victory.

Moffatt and Records scored 13 points each to lead the Raiders. Colgate shot only 3 for 15 from long range while Texas was 13 of 23 (.565) including seven from Sir Jabari Rice and four from Marcus Carr.

Tucker Richardson drilled a three-point shot early in the game to become the Raiders’ all-time leader in three-point shots made. In addition, Richardson finishes his career as the Colgate career leader in assists and steals. He also completed his Colgate time in the top five in both scoring and rebounding and is the most decorated player in the history of the Patriot League.


Head Coach Matt Langel says:

“Hats off to Texas. We watched a lot of film over the last week. They assisted 20 times with 13 made three-point shots. Some of them we were — we picked that poison to give them a chance to make those shots, and they really stepped up and buried them, made it hard for us, put us in a hole. These guys (Tucker Richardson and Oliver Lynch-Daniels) and their teammates fought like crazy to make it a game. They should be incredibly proud and hold their heads high. I know I’m proud to be their coach. They left everything they had on the court, so tip your cap to Texas. They’re a really good team and they played really well.

“This crowd and Des Moines have been incredible. The hospitality, the kindness of the people, and the event that they have helped put on here with the NCAA have been incredible. To have the crowd chanting “Colgate” was a testament to the resolve of our players, their commitment, their fight, and their togetherness.”

SEASON NOTES
*Colgate during the season rode a 26-game winning streak against conference opponents, the longest such streak in Patriot League history.
*Tucker Richardson ends his career ranked atop the program record book in games played (155), assists (626), steals (221), and three-point baskets (268).
*Richardson is the only player in Patriot League history to earn all four major awards in a career (Rookie of the Year, Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Scholar-Athlete of the Year).
*Keegan Records’ 67.6 field goal percentage is the best single-season mark in Patriot League history.
*Oliver Lynch-Daniels this season led the nation in three-point field goal percentage (50.3) and his 51.3 career three-point percentage ranks No. 1 in Patriot League history.
*Ryan Moffatt’s 44.1 career three-point percentage ranks third in the Patriot League record book.
Braeden Smith broke the freshman record for single-season assists (154).

The Patriot League champion Colgate Raiders (26-9, 17-1 Patriot), who played their fourth NCAA Tournament game in five seasons under Head Coach Matt Langel and the sixth in program history, concluded the season with a program record 26 victories and a Patriot League record 17 League wins.