WEST POINT, N.Y. – Colgate gave Army West Point a scare in both halves here Wednesday night before the preseason Patriot League favorites prevailed, 67-55.
 
The Raiders were in front for nearly the entire first quarter and the first half of the second period before the Black Knights rallied for a 34-28 halftime edge.
 
Colgate came back again to take leads of 38-36 and 40-38 approaching midway in the third quarter, but then the Raiders went cold and Army took advantage. The Knights outscored Colgate 15-2 over the final 6 minutes of the quarter and led 53-42.
 
The Raiders in the fourth pulled within seven at 55-48, but that was a close as they could get. Army improved to 13-2 overall and 4-1 in conference.
 
Paige Kriftcher was the Colgate scoring leader with 15. Katie Curtis became the first Raider this season to play all 40 minutes and she scored 13, while Josie Stockill added 12.
 
Army was led by Dani Failor's 21 points off the bench.
 
Colgate hosts first-place Bucknell this Saturday at 4 p.m.
 
Bottom Line
• Army West Point 67, Colgate 55
 
Won-Lost Records
• Colgate is now 3-12 overall and 1-4 in the Patriot League
• Army improved to 13-2 and 4-1.
 
How It Happened
• Army scored the first basket but then Colgate put up seven straight to make it 7-3.
• Kriftcher and Stockill scored four points apiece in the opening quarter as Colgate maintained the lead throughout. It was 13-12 Raiders at the end of one.
• Ariel Etheridge banked in a 3-pointer to make it 23-19, but Army responded with seven straight points to go back in front for the first time since 3-0.
• The Black Knights capped a 22-point second quarter when reserve Aliyah Murrah scored her sixth point of the period on a buzzer-beating putback. Army led, 34-28.
• Colgate came out firing to start the second half as back-to-back 3-pointers from Kateri Stone tied the score at 36.
• Curtis then got a shooter's bounce on a jumper just inside the free-throw circle to cap an 8-0 run and make it 38-36, Colgate.
• But the Raiders scored just two points over the last six minutes of the period. The 53-42 deficit entering the fourth quarter was whittled to seven but no closer.
 
Facts & Figures
• It's no surprise that Colgate played Army tough. Last year's three games were decided by 2, 1 and 3 points -- the latter in overtime.
• Army this season has beaten Patriot League opponents Lehigh by 24, Lafayette by 33 and Loyola by 23. The only Black Knights loss was at first-place Bucknell by 10 back on Jan. 2.
• Colgate reached 40 percent shooting from the floor for the fifth time this season, landing right on the number by going 20-of-50. Army finished at 38.3 percent.
• The Black Knights were just 1-of-11 from long distance but made up for it by going 20-of-25 at the line. League scoring leader Kelsey Minato made all 10 of her free throws on the way to 18 points.
• Colgate was 6-of-17 from three and 9-of-14 at the stripe.
• Army posted a 39-34 rebounding edge and forced 20 Colgate turnovers while committing 13.
• Army scored 40 of its 67 points either off turnovers (21) or via second chances (19). The Black Knights also had a 35-5 edge in bench points.
 
More Key Info
• Curtis played wire-to-wire, easily topping her previous career high of 30 minutes.
• She's the first Raider to reach 40 minutes this season. Stockill played all but the closing seconds in the Dec. 22 win at Lafayette.
• Colgate's scoring went as follows: Kriftcher 15, Curtis 13, Stockill 12, Stone 8, Etheridge 3, Chandler 2 and Barcello 2.
• Stockill and Tori Pozsonyi shared team rebounding honors with six apiece. For Pozsonyi, the six boards were a career high. Stone matched her career high with five rebounds.
• Stockill blocked three shots and is just one shy of 200 for her career.
 
Turning Point
• Colgate had rallied from a six-point halftime deficit to grab third-quarter leads of 38-36 and 40-38.
• But Army finished the period on a 15-2 run to lead 53-42 heading into the fourth. Colgate drew no closer than seven points the rest of the way.
 
From the Source
• Colgate head coach Nicci Hays Fort (On the game): "I was really proud of our team and we had a lot of great defensive moments. We had some good offensive possessions but, unfortunately, we just didn't give ourselves enough offensive possessions because of the turnovers.
 
"Shooting 40 percent on the road – we shot 47 percent in the first half – we usually would take that. But we turned the ball over a few too many times and we gave up too many rebounds."
 
Listen to the rest of Hays Fort's comments HERE.
 
Gate Grab Bag
• Attendance at Christl Arena was 628.
• There was a good turnout of Colgate alums, family members and friends at a pregame reception inside the Hotel Thayer on the grounds of the U.S. Military Academy.
 
Up Next
• Colgate returns to Cotterell Court for Saturday's matchup against first-place Bucknell.
• The Bison are 11-5 overall and 5-0 in the Patriot League after their thrilling overtime victory Wednesday at home against Lehigh.
• Bucknell trailed by 17 at halftime and by 13 entering the fourth quarter before rallying past the Mountain Hawks, 80-77.
• Tipoff Saturday is 4 p.m.