Box Score Photo Gallery

HAMILTON, N.Y. (11/23/11) - The Colgate men's basketball team won its home opener for the first time in four years after topping St. Francis (Pa.) 74-66 Wednesday evening at Cotterell Court.

Junior Brandon James led the Raiders with a career-high 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting, while Mike Venezia and Pat Moore each scored 13. Junior Mitch Rolls added 12 points for the Raiders, while Nick Pascale pitched in eight. Sterling Melville led the team with a game-high nine rebounds, while James grabbed seven and Moore had six.

Colgate (2-2) scored the first six points of the game as Moore and Rolls made back-to-back three-pointers before the Red Flash were on the board. The Raiders would hold the lead until Earl Brown made a jumper with 15:11 remaining in the half to tie the score 11-11. St. Francis would then build its largest lead of the game 22-13 after an 11-2 run with 10:29 remaining. But the Raiders responded with a 20-6 run to take a five-point lead 33-28 with 1:49 remaining. Both teams would exchange baskets in the closing minute as Colgate took a 35-30 lead into the locker room. James and Moore scored nine points apiece in first 20 minutes of action as Colgate shot 50 percent from the field (13-26) and from beyond the arc (6-12).

St. Francis (0-4) opened the second half with a 7-3 run to trim the Raiders lead to 38-37 with 16:45 remaining, but that was as close as the game would get as Colgate led by no less then three points for the remainder of the game. The Red Flash did make it a three point game 68-65 with 40 seconds remaining in regulation, but the Raiders made all six of their free throw opportunities to seal the win. Rolls scored nine points in the second half, including a pair of the three-pointers and three free throws, while James scored eight points.

St. Francis was led by Ollie Jackson who scored a game-high 19 points, while Brown pitched in 12.

Colgate shot 47 percent from the field and out rebounded the Red Flash 42-28 to win its first home opener since topping Monmouth 63-60 in 2007.

The Raiders will stay instate when they travel to Marist on Saturday, Nov. 26. The game is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. at McCann Arena.