Box Score

HAMILTON, N.Y. (11/13/2010) – Colgate junior forward Yaw Gyawu (Lilburn, Ga.) scored a team-high 20 points, but it wasn't enough as the Raiders dropped their season opener to Binghamton 62-60 Saturday night at Cotterell Court.

Binghamton (1-0) forward Greer Wright, who posted a game-high 27 points, split a pair of free throws with 14 seconds left to give Colgate a chance to tie or take the lead in the closing seconds. After a quick Raiders timeout sophomore guard Mitch Rolls (Coffeyville, Kan.) was able to find Gyawu posting up in the paint. Gyawu made a quick turn to beat his defender, but missed the game tying shot, Rolls was then able to grab the rebound to take three-pointer as the horn sounded, but it didn't fall.

Junior forward Sterling Melville (Plano, Texas) and freshman guard Chad Johnson (Atlanta, Ga.) each scored seven points for the Raiders, while sophomore center John Brandenburg (St. Louis, Mo.) added six and freshman guard Pat Moore (Utica, N.Y.) pitched in five. Gyawu, who finished 9-of-13 from the field also led the team with six rebounds, while as a team Colgate out-rebounded the Bearcats 36-to-20, including 13 on the offensive glass.

The second half featured 13 lead changes including Melville's layup with 5:39 remaining to put Colgate ahead 54-53. The Bearcats would respond with a 6-0 run and own a 61-58 lead with 1:38, before a thunderous dunk from Gyawu trimmed the lead to 61-60 with 52 seconds remaining.

Colgate (0-1) was able to take a 30-29 lead into halftime after junior guard Mike Venezia (Westfield, N.J.) hit a 22-foot jumper at the buzzer. After slow start from both teams, the Bearcats built the largest lead of the half with a 12-2 run to go up 14-6. But the Raiders were able to answer back as Gyawu scored 12 of Colgate's first 21 points and Moore knocked down his first collegiate three-pointer to give the Raiders a 24-22 lead 3:35 remaining. Both teams closed the half exchanging baskets before Venezia gave Colgate the lead.

The Raiders will travel to face St. Francis (Pa.) on Monday, Nov. 15 at 7:00 p.m., before traveling south to Durham, N.C., to face the defending national champion Duke Blue Devils on Friday, Nov. 19.