ANNAPOLIS, Md. (1/27/2007)—Colgate University junior Melanie Cargle (Trotwood, Ohio) posted 17 points, eight rebounds, and five assists to lead the Raiders to a, 55-44, victory over Navy in Patriot League women’s basketball action this afternoon at Alumni Hall. Carly Meyer led all Midshipmen with 14 points and nine rebounds.

 

The victory is the first for Colgate at Navy since Jan. 27, 2001. The Raiders improve to 3-19 overall and 2-5 in Patriot League play, while Navy falls to 8-12 and 3-4 in league action.

 

Freshman TaHara Williams (Mason, Ohio) added 10 points for the Raiders, while rookie Katie Garman (Poplar Grove, Ill.) and junior Caitlin Gillard (Vestal, N.Y.) both scored nine points. Sophomore Gretchen Polinski (Mansfield, Ohio) pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds for Colgate.

 

The Raiders used a pair of double-digit runs in both halves to hold on for the 11-point victory. Colgate came out of the break with a 24-19 lead after closing the first half with a 19-3 run and never trailed.

 

Navy scored the first four points of the second stanza to pull within, but Colgate responded in a big way with a 14-5 run that spanned seven minutes and pushed the Raider lead to 10 points. The Mids answered right back with a 7-0 run to cut the lead to three points, 40-37, but they would never get any closer.

 

The Raiders hit 10-12 free throws, including 5-of-6 from Cargle, in the final four minutes to secure the 11-point win.

 

Colgate struggled out of the gates, falling behind 11-3 in the opening eight minutes. The Raiders got their first field goal at the 12:44 mark and scored just two field goals in the opening 10 minutes.

 

Navy stretched its lead to 11 points at 16-5 with a free throw from Kalen Kropa at the 9:54 mark, but it was all Colgate after that as the Raiders went on a 19-3 run for a, 24-19, lead at the break.

 

The Raiders got consecutive three-pointers from Garman and a fast break layup from Williams to make it a three-point game and jumpstart that 19-3 run.

 

The Raiders stifled the Midshipmen offense in the final nine minutes, holding the Mids to just one field goal in the final 9:54 and none in the closing six minutes.

 

Lindi Conner added 10 points for Navy , while Betsy Burnett had seven points and four rebounds. Navy shot 31.9 percent from the floor for the game and just 25 percent from long range.

 

Colgate hit 32.1 percent of its shots and 28.6 percent from three-point range. The Raiders outrebounded Navy 42-32 for the game.

 

The Raiders hit the court again on Feb. 3 at Army. That game is set for 3:15 p.m.