WORCESTER, Mass. – Three games into the Patriot League schedule and Colgate is breathing some rarified air.
 
The Raiders put on a fourth-quarter free throw shooting clinic – swishing 11-of-11 – and emerged with a 62-54 win over Holy Cross in front of a raucous crowd on Grammar Schools Day.
 
The victory boosted Colgate to 2-1 in the conference standings, their best mark through three games since the 2004 Patriot League championship season. And Colgate won for just the second time in 30 tries at the Hart Center.
 
The Raiders outscored their hosts 19-12 in the final quarter, making just four shots from the field but sinking all 11 free throw tries. Colgate was 20-of-23 from the stripe in the second half.
 
Chelsey Koren led a balanced Raider scoring attack with 13 points. Her final three came on a driving 3-point play with 35 seconds left and the Raiders leading 55-54.
 
Katie Curtis scored 12 and Mylah Chandler eight. All eight of Chandler's points came in the fourth quarter, including a perfect 6-of-6 at the line. Kateri Stone added seven points on 7-of-10 at the line.
 
Bottom Line
• Colgate 62, Holy Cross 54
 
Won-Lost Records
• Colgate improved to 5-9 overall and 2-1 in the Patriot League.
• Holy Cross is now 2-12 and 0-3.
 
Quick Recap
• The grammar school kids were rocking the house, but it was Colgate that bolted to an 8-0 lead over the opening four minutes.
• Holy Cross' first basket was an Infiniti Thomas-Waheed 3-pointer at the 5:42 mark.
• Tori Pozsonyi's third basket of the quarter handed Colgate its largest lead of the game at 20-8 with 1:01 showing.
• Holy Cross scored the last five points of the period to pull within 20-13 after one quarter.
• The Raiders scored just nine points in the second quarter – a season-low for that period – yet held on to a 29-27 advantage at halftime.
• After trailing the entire first half, Holy Cross took its first lead at 32-30 on Thomas-Waheed's 3-pointer with 8:59 showing on the third-quarter clock.
• The Crusaders built their lead to as much as 40-35 on Katie Doherty's 3-ball with 4:25 left in the period.
• But Colgate closed the quarter on an 8-2 run over the final 3:43, with all eight points coming at the free throw line. The Raiders led, 43-42.
• The Raiders extended the run to 12-2 over the first four minutes of the fourth and led 47-42.
• Holy Cross finally snapped a 6:24 scoring drought with a Madelyn Ganser free throw with 5:54 left.
• Colgate's free throw shooting pushed the lead to 51-43 after Abby Schubiger swished a pair with 3:15 to play.
• Holy Cross put together one last gasp, an 11-4 run capped by two Thomas-Waheed free throws that made it 55-54 Raiders with 44 seconds remaining.
• But on the ensuing possession, Koren drove the lane, was fouled and powered her layup off the glass and home.
• She bottomed the free throw and Colgate withstood the final half minute for a huge program victory.
 
Facts & Figures
• Colgate was 10-of-18 from the field in the first quarter and then 9-of-42 the rest of the way.
• Included was an overall 2-of-15 result from 3-point distance. The two made threes were a season low.
• But Colgate's 22-of-27 effort at the line matched its best of the season for a minimum of 20 attempts (also 22-of-27 at Siena).
• Chandler grabbed eight boards in just 17 minutes of action, her ninth time leading the Raiders in rebounding this season.
• Curtis scored Colgate's first six points of the second half to keep the Raiders close.
• Colgate's 14 turnovers were their second-fewest this season (12 at Brown).
• The Raiders improved to 4-1 when holding their opponent under 70 points. They're also 5-0 when leading through three quarters.
• Holy Cross nearly doubled its average number of 3-pointers made. The Crusaders averaged 5.6 per game coming in but made 9-of-32.
• Thomas-Waheed led the Crusaders with 14 points, followed by 13 from Lauren Manis.
• Colgate's record at the Hart Center is now 2-28. The Raiders are 6-52 all-time against the Crusaders.
 
From the Sources
• Colgate head coach Bill Cleary: (On the free throw success) "We noticed we were able to get a lot of things of the dribble. It was allowing us to get to the foul line and we had a lot of success there today. These kids were keeping their composure, keeping their focus. What a great environment it was in there today, but they kept their focus and finished it out strong."
 
(On the start to the Patriot League season) "It's a nice feeling for the players. Seeing them smile, seeing them excited, seeing them believe in themselves and what we are doing – to me, that's what this is about. Seeing them get that confidence with every practice and every game, that's why we are in the business.
 
"It's great to see these young women realize that they are winners."
 
Listen to the rest of Coach Cleary's comments HERE.
 
• Colgate guard Chelsey Koren: (On the 3-point play) "The environment was crazy and the kids were loud, but we just had to all stay calm but be excited about it. That was a huge play and Mylah also had those foul shots at the end, which was huge.
 
"I'm just happy we could all keep our composure, especially with the crazy environment."
 
(On the free throw shooting) "We definitely worked on foul shots because of our previous struggles at the line. But we didn't let all the kids and the noise fluster us and I'm really proud of how all of us kept our composure."
 
Listen to the rest of Koren's comments HERE.
 
Gate Grab Bag
• Attendance on Grammar Schools Day at the Hart Center was 2,379.
 
Up Next
• Colgate returns to Cotterell Court for a Sunday game against Navy.
• The Mids are 8-5 overall and 1-1 in the Patriot League heading into Friday night's contest at Boston University.
• Tipoff is 2 p.m.