HAMILTON – Best this. Largest that. Sensing a trend?
 
Colgate continued making the records book required reading as the Raiders posted their most lopsided victory in nearly three years and healthiest home win in almost five years with an 84-64 triumph over UMass Lowell here Saturday.
 
The Raiders also shot 57.9 percent from the field, 33-of-57, for their best performance in that category in more than a decade.
 
Balanced scoring was the order of the day, as Colgate didn't have a player reach double figures until midway in the fourth quarter. But 11 different Raiders found the scoring column for the first time all season, led by Mylah Chandler, Rachel Thompson and Tori Pozsonyi with 10 apiece.
 
Trailing 4-2, Colgate scored 16 straight capped by Chelsey Koren's 3-pointer that made it 18-4 with 2:42 left in the first. UMass Lowell scored the last five of the quarter and trailed 23-13 at the first break.
 
It was 35-24 just past the midway point of the second quarter when the Raiders put together a 13-0 run. Koren again capped the streak with a layup and Colgate held its largest lead of the game at 48-26 with 1:06 showing before halftime.
 
UMass Lowell put the quarter's last two baskets on the board and it was 48-30 Raiders at intermission.
 
The River Hawks carried that run over and scored the first 12 points of the second half, closing to within 50-42 with 5:34 left in the third. The teams traded runs – Colgate scored 11 straight and then UMass Lowell 10 – to leave it 63-52 entering the fourth.
 
The visitors never pulled closer than 10 points throughout the fourth quarter.
 
Saturday's win was the largest since a 72-45 victory at Loyola on Jan. 24, 2015. It was the largest winning margin on Cotterell Court since a 72-36 defeat of NJIT on Jan. 3, 2013.
 
And the last time Colgate had a better shooting night was Jan. 9, 2007, when the Raiders finished at 58.1 percent (25-of-43) in a 64-57 triumph over Lafayette.
 
Bottom Line
Colgate 84, UMass Lowell 64
 
Won-Lost Records
• Colgate improved to 4-4. It's the best eight-game start to a Raiders season since the 2009 squad was 5-3. Last year's team was 2-6 on its way to a 3-8 nonconference record.
• UMass Lowell is now 2-6.
 
Facts & Figures
• Colgate had scoring runs of 16, 13 and 11 consecutive points, while UMass Lowell put together 16-0 and 10-0 runs.
• The Raiders ended the game on an 8-0 run over the final 3:11.
• Colgate's 48 first-half points were a season high for either half.
• The Raiders shot 67 percent (20-of-30) for the opening half.
• Mackenzie Carroll and Haley Greer both made their first starts of the season.
• Chandler and Pozsonyi both posted season scoring highs. Pozsonyi's career high of 13 came last year at UMass Lowell.
• Koren scored a season-high nine points.
• Nia Ahart led all players with five assists. She has nine over the last two games and has at least two in every game this season.
• Kateri Stone made another 3-pointer and has 98 for her career, just eight away from reaching the Colgate career top 10.
• UMass Lowell's Kayla Gibbs led all players with 12 points and 13 rebounds.
 
From the Source
• Colgate head coach Bill Cleary: (On the game) "I'm proud of our players' effort. It was fantastic. That's how we want to play. We call it the 'Gate Way. Tonight we played for each other, and we enjoy playing for each other. Our players really do buy in to what we are trying to do here, and today is prime example.
 
Listen to the rest of Coach Cleary's comments here.
 
Gate Grab Bag
• Attendance at Cotterell Court was 213.
 
Up Next
• Colgate takes on Central New York foe Syracuse Wednesday night.
• The Orange are 7-0 heading into Sunday's home game against Stony Brook.
• Tipoff is 7 p.m., with the ACC Network and WKXZ-FM carrying all the action.