BOSTON – Colgate found its shooting touch and earned its first victory on the Boston University hardwood with a 72-63 triumph Wednesday night.
 
Katie Curtis poured in a career-high 20 points on 4-of-6 sharpshooting from 3-point distance to lead all scorers. The junior guard helped Colgate hit 41.1 percent from the floor for its third-best shooting performance this season.
 
Earlier wins at LIU Brooklyn (42.2 percent) and Lafayette (41.7 percent) were the only better statistical games for Colgate.
 
Colgate was 0-4 against the Terriers in Boston before tonight, including losses in the first two trips since BU joined the Patriot League in 2013-14.
 
But sophomore Ariel Etheridge matched her career high with 13 points and first-year Chelsey Koren added 12. Koren entered the game with nine points in her first 15 collegiate games before breaking loose on 4-of-6 shooting.
 
Koren was 2-of-2 from downtown in her second consecutive start.
 
The Raiders led 26-24 at halftime and then posted their highest-scoring half of the season to pull away. Colgate's 46 points after intermission topped the 40 scored in the second halves of the opening two games of the season at Kent State and Cornell.
 
Boston University placed four in double-figures led by Corrine Williams with 16.
 
The Raiders host Loyola this Saturday at 4 p.m.
 
Bottom Line
• Colgate 72, Boston University 63
 
Won-Lost Records
• Colgate improved to 4-13 overall and 2-5 in the Patriot League.
• Boston University is now 1-17 and 1-6.
 
How It Happened
• All eight lead changes in the game happened in the first quarter.
• The initial Curtis 3-pointer with 3:52 remaining gave Colgate the lead for keeps at 11-9.
• Five Colgate players found the scoresheet in the opening 10 minutes, led by 7 points from Curtis. Colgate led 15-11.
• BU scored the first four points of the second quarter to tie, and then Colgate scored six in a row for its largest lead of the first half at 21-15.
• The Raiders survived a nearly five-minute scoring drought without losing the lead, and were on top 26-24 at intermission. Chelsey Koren led Colgate that quarter with 5 points and Mylah Chandler had 4.
• It was a clean first half, with just nine fouls called between the two teams and only 11 combined turnovers.
• Curtis found the range with her 3-ball in the third, connecting on 3-of-3 for nine points in the quarter.
• And all three were clutch. The first one broke a 26-26 tie, the second extended a 33-31 lead and the third extended a 38-33 advantage to Colgate's largest lead of the game to that point at 41-33.
• Colgate won the third quarter 22-19 and led 48-43 heading to the fourth.
• Etheridge had scored the final two points of the third period and then made the first two buckets of the fourth to spark a combined 10-0 Raiders run that made it 56-43.
• Colgate stretched its lead to a peak of 69-52 on a Josie Stockill free throw with 3:07 left and held on from there.
 
Facts & Figures
• Since the Terriers joined the Patriot League in 2013-14, this was the first win by the road team in six Colgate-BU meetings.
• The Raiders are 4-2 in those six games and now 5-7 all-time against the Terriers.
• Colgate played so well and had such a cushion in this game that six missed free throws and five turnovers in the final 4:15 didn't matter.
• Colgate finished 19-of-27 at the line for 70.4 percent, and committed 14 turnovers – only four off the season low.
• The Raiders are now 2-0 when leading at halftime, 3-0 when leading at the end of the third quarter and 4-0 when leading at the 5-minute mark of the fourth.
• They are 2-3 when scoring at least 70 points.
 
More Key Info
• The Colgate scoring column looked like this: Curtis 20, Etheridge 13, Koren 12, Kateri Stone 8, Chandler 6, Stockill 5, Tori Pozsonyi 4 and Paige Kriftcher 4.
• Curtis' previous scoring high was 14 on Dec. 19 against St. Bonaventure. She did her damage tonight in just 24 minutes of playing time.
• Etheridge scored 13 in the Dec. 28 win over Siena. The sophomore guard on this night was 7-of-8 at the line and grabbed seven rebounds – all career highs.
• Thanks to Etheridge and Co., the Raider bench posted a 27-24 scoring edge over their Terrier counterparts.
• Koren's only points before tonight came via a 3-ball Dec. 13 against Gonzaga and a pair of threes Jan. 9 at Navy. She was 2-of-2 from downtown in this game (5-of-10 for the season) to go with a pair of free throws and a pair of 2-point buckets.
• Team scoring leaders Stockill and Kriftcher were limited in points but contributed in other ways.
• Stockill grabbed a team-high nine rebounds and blocked four more shots. She entered the game first in the nation in blocks and is averaging 4.3, with 73 in 17 games.
• Kriftcher led the Raiders with five assists and grabbed six boards.
 
Turning Point
• Colgate led 26-24 at halftime and BU scored the first basket of the third quarter to forge the game's fourth tie score. It would be the last deadlock thanks to some deadeye shooting.
• Curtis swished three straight 3-pointers and Stone added another as Colgate held off repeated Terrier charges.
• The Raiders were in front 48-43 at the end of the third quarter, scored the first eight points of the fourth as part of a 10-0 run and were never threatened.
 
From the Source
• Colgate head coach Nicci Hays Fort (On the game): "I was really happy with a lot of things. We had some people step up and make some huge shots and attacks to the basket. We didn't win the rebound battle but we got the ones we needed to at the end."
 
(On the scoring) "Katie, Ariel and Chelsey – that's what we need. I'm so happy for them. And Paige didn't have a great scoring night but she had five assists and six rebounds. If she can have that along with her scoring, that's going to be a good ending to her senior season."
 
Listen to the rest of Hays Fort's comments HERE.
 
• Colgate guard Katie Curtis (On her scoring night): "When I started to hit, I got a little more confident. As a team, I knew we needed to build our lead. So I was going to do whatever I could to help us."
 
(On her season) "As a team, we've all been coming together. All of us have been improving. Chelsey had a great game tonight and that's what we've asked of our younger players – and all of us.
 
Listen to the rest of Curtis' comments HERE.
 
Gate Grab Bag
• Attendance at Case Gym was 231.
 
Up Next
• Colgate returns to Cotterell Court for a Saturday game against Loyola.
• The Greyhounds are 7-11 overall and an impressive 4-3 in the Patriot League despite Wednesday's hard-fought 71-64 loss at first-place Bucknell.
• Tipoff Saturday is 4 p.m.