Box Score

STORRS, Conn. (11/16/09) -- Junior shooting guard Mike Venezia (Westfield, N.J.) scored 17 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead Colgate, but No. 12 UConn was too strong in the second half as the Huskies defeated the Raiders 77-63 in the first round of the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-off at Gampel Pavilion on Monday night.

The Raiders (0-1) trailed 33-32 going into halftime, but No. 12 UConn (2-0) proved to be too strong, opening the second half on a 39-17 run. Forward Stanley Robinson led the Huskies with 18 points on 8-8 shooting, while guard Kemba Walker pitched in 16 points.
   
Both teams played a sloppy first half, as neither team could find a rhythm and kept turning the ball over. UConn led 20-13 after a three-pointer from Josh Coombs-McDaniel, but the Raiders went on a 16-4 run, punctuated by eight points from senior guard Kyle Roemer (Martinez, Calif.). Roemer would finish with 12 points on the night.

Leading 29-24 with 3:11 remaining until intermission, Colgate engaged in a back-and-forth affair with the Huskies. Walker hit a jumper, and Jerome Dyson knocked down two free throws for the Huskies. Freshman point guard Mitch Rolls (Coffeyville, Kan.) knocked down a three-pointer from the corner, but Coombs-McDaniel responded with a three-pointer of his own, bringing UConn to within one point. Gavin Edwards finished the half with a dunk, and UConn took a one-point lead into the half.
   
In the second half, UConn's size and athleticism were simply too much for Colgate. The Huskies could not miss a shot as they cut through the 2-3 zone to score some points in the paint. On the other end, Colgate cooled off only scoring 12 points in the first 12 minutes of the half. UConn took a 72-50 lead with 5:37 remaining, but Colgate persevered and managed to cut the lead to 14 before the end of the game.
   
Colgate shot 47.2 percent from the field and an astounding 50 percent from three-point range. Unfortunately, the Raiders also accrued 19 turnovers, partially due to UConn's full court press. UConn and Colgate were almost evenly matched on the boards, with the total being 29-27 in the Huskies' favor.
   
Forward Yaw Gyawu (Lilburn, Ga.) pitched in 12 points for Colgate. Other high scorers for UConn included Edwards (14 points), Coombs-McDaniel (11 points), and Dyson (10 points).
   
The Raiders will now face Yale in the consolation round of the Preseason NIT. Game time is set for 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17 at Gampel Pavilion.