Box Score

HAMILTON, N.Y. (1/19/11) – Sophomore point guard Mitch Rolls knocked down a 15-foot jumper in the closing seconds to lift Colgate past Lehigh 80-79 Wednesday night at Cotterell Court. The win marks the first for Colgate in Patriot League play this season and snapped a three game losing streak to the Mountain Hawks.

Rolls finished the game with 13 points, three steals and three assists, while junior Sterling Melville scored a career-high 15 points. Senior captain Joe Hoban also scored 13 points to go along with a team-high six assists, while juniors Yaw Gyawu and Mike Venezia pitched in 12 points apiece.

After trailing 63-51 with 12:20 remaining in the second half, Colgate fought back to eventually take a 78-77 lead in the final 37 seconds. After a C.J. McCollum layup gave Lehigh a 79-78 lead the Raiders called a time out with 11.5 remaining. Rolls took the inbounds pass and found an opening to float in a shot with just over five seconds remaining. The Mountains Hawks pushed the ball down the court as McCollum tried for a game winner, but his shot came up short, to give Colgate its second win this week.

Colgate (3-15, 1-3) opened the game with a 12-6 run through the first four minutes of action. But Lehigh bounced back to take a 17-15 lead. Both teams swapped baskets for the next couple of possessions until Colgate went on an 8-2 run to take a 26-23 lead with just over seven minutes remaining. Lehigh once again came back to take a 29-26 lead, but the Raiders answered right back with a three pointer from freshman Pat Moore to tie the game. Both teams exchange baskets the rest of the half, with neither team leading by more then two points as they entered the locker room tied 38-38. Gyawu led the Raiders with eight points in the first half, while Hoban, Rolls and Venezia each had six.

Lehigh (10-9, 1-3) started the second half with a 20-9 run, capped off by a three pointer from McCollum, to give the Mountain Hawks a 58-47 lead. Lehigh would then add to its lead two minutes later off a steal and layup by Anthony D'Orazio to build the largest lead of the game 63-51. Venezia would then hit a pair of three-pointers to spark an 8-0 run by the Raiders to trim the lead to 63-59 with just over nine minutes remaining in regulation. Lehigh would extend its lead to 75-67 with 4:28 remaining, but six straight points from Melville and three pointer from Rolls cut the lead to 77-76 with 1:41 remaining. Melville then made a pair of free throws with 37 seconds remaining to give Colgate it first lead of the second half 78-77.

McCollum led Lehigh with a game-high 24 points off 10-of-17 shooting, while Michael Ojo scored 13 points and Gabe Knutson 12. Holden Greiner pitched in 11 points while grabbing a game-high nine rebounds.

Colgate will travel to Bucknell on Saturday, Jan. 22. The game is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. at Sojka Pavilion and will be live on Patriot League All-Access.