BOSTON – Colgate was hot out of the gate and hotter still at the end.
 
But the middle 35 minutes cost the Raiders a win.
 
Boston University held on to defeat Colgate 58-53 here Wednesday in a game that saw the Raiders shoot just 31 percent from the field.
 
Only top-25 foes Rutgers and Georgia held Colgate to a lower shooting percentage this season than did BU, which ended a nine-game losing streak and won for the first time since November.
 
Colgate led 9-0 early thanks to a pair of 3-pointers from Missy Repoli and another from Mariah Jones. And the Raiders nearly stole this one at the end by virtue of a 12-0 run that pulled Colgate within 54-53 with 30 seconds remaining.
 
The Raiders forced a steal and had a chance to take the lead, but Colgate turned it over and then didn't score again as Boston University improved to 4-12 overall and 1-4 in the Patriot League.
 
Colgate is 2-14 and also 1-4.
 
Repoli scored 21 points to match her season-high, including a 5-of-6 shooting touch beyond the arc. Carole Harris added 12 points and tied her career-high with 14 rebounds. BU was led by Sarah Hope's career-high 22 points. Hope was 6-of-9 from 3-point distance.
 
The Raiders host Navy this Saturday at 4 p.m.
 
Bottom Line
• Boston University 58, Colgate 53
 
Won-Lost Records
• Colgate is now 2-14 overall.
• Boston University is 4-12 overall. Both teams are 1-4 in the Patriot League.
 
Facts & Figures
• Colgate had two first-half scoring droughts of at least four minutes, and then the Raiders went the final 3:37 of the first period without a point.
• Thankfully, the Raiders kept BU from scoring the last 3:56 and it was 25-23 Terriers at the break.
• Missy Repoli then caught fire early in the second half, scoring 13 points over a 3:53 stretch that pulled Colgate within 39-38 with 13:50 remaining.
• But after that, the Raiders didn't score their next field goal until Randyll Butler's layup with just 3:05 showing – more than a 10-minute stretch on the clock between baskets.
• Butler's hoop made it 54-43 and started a 12-0 run that nearly allowed the Raiders to steal this one.
• Mariah Jones made a basket during that push, Butler hit two clutch free throws, and Ariel Etheridge connected on a pair of huge 3-pointers.
• Colgate then had a chance to take the lead, gaining possession after a replay reversal handed the Raiders possession with 31 seconds left.
• But Colgate turned it over and Boston University scored the game's final four points.
 
More Key Info
• The Raiders broke quickly from the gate and led 9-0 inside the first 2½ minutes.
• But BU answered immediately with nine points of its own and it was 9-9 on the way to a 13-11 Terriers lead with 12:19 showing.
• Carole Harris scored Colgate's last seven points of the opening half over the final 6:20.
• Colgate scoring in the game went like this: Repoli 21, Harris 12, Butler 7, Etheridge 6, Jones 4 and Katie Curtis 3.
• Harris tied her career-high with 14 rebounds.
• BU was led by Sarah Hope's career-high 22 points. Hope was 6-of-9 from 3-point distance and the Terriers as a team were 8-of-13.
• Colgate shot just 31.1 percent from the field, making 19-of-61. Only games against top-25 foes Rutgers and Georgia produced lower shooting percentages for Colgate this season.
• The Raiders were 9-of-20 from 3-point distance (Repoli was 5-of-6) and 6-of-12 at the free-throw line.
• Rebounds were a wash, 37-36 BU. The Raider defense forced a season-high 25 turnovers, of which 15 came via steals for another season-high. Harris, Jones and Josie Stockill all had three steals apiece.
• Boston University's win was its first since November and snapped a nine-game Terriers losing streak.
 
Turning Point
• Colgate blitzed to a 9-0 lead on a pair of 3-pointers from Repoli and another from Jones.
• But the Raiders couldn't bury the host Terriers and BU scored nine key points of its own to retake the lead by 13-11.
• Colgate led on just one more occasion, 16-15 after a Curtis 3-pointer.
 
From the Sources
• Colgate head coach Nicci Hays Fort: (On the game) "BU shot really well. They got really great looks and knocked theirs down. We did miss some shots we normally make, but we also didn't take some of the best shots, and that just left us scrambling a little bit.
"Missy was able to hit five in a row, but overall we struggled."
(On the 12-0 run at the end) "We were trying to find people who wanted to compete. We were scrambling and pressuring them a little bit. We wanted to pressure them the whole game, but you have to score to apply pressure.
"We were able to knock down some shots and got a few deflections. We mixed up our pressure a little bit and forced some turnovers. We had a chance. That's what we wanted to give ourselves."
(On the offensive plan trailing by one with 30 seconds left) "We didn't want to rush, but we wanted to give ourselves a chance at an offensive rebound."
 
Gate Grab Bag
• Attendance at Case Gym was 191.
 
Up Next
• Colgate returns to Cotterell Court this Saturday for a 4 p.m. game against Navy.
• The Mids are 9-7 overall and 3-2 in the Patriot League after losing 44-42 at home Wednesday to Bucknell.