HAMILTON – Let's for the sake of argument say that Rachel Thompson playing a full season in 2017-18 would have made a difference in the fortunes of the Colgate Raiders.
 
Here's the argument: 24 points, 19 rebounds, nine assists and five steals leading Colgate to an 84-71 comeback victory Sunday against Columbia.
 
The Raiders a year ago after Thompson went down with her season-ending injury went 3-15 to put the skids on a 4-4 start that was their best since 2009. But the junior guard has returned with a flurry, and Sunday Columbia was the wrong team in the wrong place at the wrong time.
 
Colgate began both halves by scoring the first 11 points. Mylah Chandler tallied six and Thompson five in the initial opening stretch while the Raiders kept the Lions off the scoreboard until 5:16 remained in the quarter.
 
But Columbia rebounded to take a 17-16 lead by the end of the period. That lead grew to as much as 36-23 in the second quarter – a combined 36-12 run for the visitors over 14:26 – before Colgate scored the final bucket of the half to trail 36-25 at intermission.
 
Again to start the second half, Colgate scored the first 11 and knotted the score at 36-36 on Thompson's two free throws with 7:21 showing. This time, the points were more evenly distributed with Chandler scoring two, Tegan Graham a 3-point play and Summer King back-to-back buckets before Thompson tied it up.
 
Colgate went in front 45-38 on Nia Ahart's jumper just outside the paint with 5:53 on the clock, capping a 20-2 spurt to open the period in just over four minutes gone. Columbia rallied once more and took a 53-50 lead to the final quarter.
 
But the Raiders were saving their best for last and outscored the Lions 34-18 in the final quarter. Thompson scored 11 in the period and reached nine assists with 2:33 remaining when she set up Abby Schubiger's layup that made it 73-65.
 
One more assist and Thompson could have laid claim to perhaps the first triple-double in program history. She found King for a potential layup but King was fouled, and that ended the threat as far as Colgate assists would go.
 
King added 20 points for her best-scoring game of the season, and Chandler tallied 13. Madison Hardy scored 17 point off the bench to lead four Lions in double-figures.
 
Bottom Line
• Colgate 84, Columbia 71
 
Won-Lost Records
• Colgate won its second straight game and improved to 2-3.
• Columbia is now 2-4 on a four-game losing streak.
 
Stats of the Game
• Colgate's 34 points in the fourth quarter were the most scored by Colgate in one 10-minute session since quarters were implemented in 2015-16.
• The previous high was 29 – once in 2015-16 and twice in 2016-17.
• Thompson's 19 rebounds were the most for a Colgate player since Milaina Lagzdins grabbed 19 in a 79-61 win at American during Colgate's 2004 run to the Patriot League championship.
• Thompson missed the Cotterell Court rebounding record by two.
• Her rebound and assist totals were career highs. She missed her scoring and steal marks by one apiece.
• King also missed her collegiate scoring high by one. She's 13-of-13 at the free throw line to start this season.
• The Raiders were 11-of-13 as a team at the line in the decisive fourth quarter.
• Colgate's 11 turnovers were a season low, and they turned in a 28-7 scoring advantage on points-off-turnovers.
• Both teams held leads of 13 points in the game.
• After Columbia led 36-23 late in the first half, Colgate outscored the Lions 61-35 the rest of the way.
• Colgate was 10-of-18 from the floor in the third quarter and 10-of-18 again in the fourth (55.6 percent). Columbia in the second half shot 10-of-32 (31.3 percent).
• The Raiders have won four straight at home dating to last season.
 
From the Sources
• Head Coach Bill Cleary (On the game) "What a great team win. Everyone stepped up, especially after halftime. We talked about following the game plan and they did a fantastic job. All the credit goes to the players.
 
"It's different this year, and it's different because our players understand more what we are trying to do. We've got a ways to go – we're not happy, we're not content and we're not satisfied. We know we can be even better."
 
(On Thompson) "That's what she can do. She's a game-changer and we sorely missed her last year. She's our mojo and she brings the confidence. When I tell you the heart that she has and the love of the game that she has and the love that she has for her teammates – she's so deserving. She really is."
 
• Junior guard Rachel Thompson (On the quick starts) "It was our transition offense, but that started on our defense. We had to get stops so we could get the rebound and get out. We've been doing very well on our transition offense this season. So we know that if we want to play fast, we have to get stops on defense."
 
(On her game) We try to get each other open as much as possible – driving, kicking, making that extra pass. That's what I love about our team. We are very unselfish."
 
Gate Grab Bag
• Attendance at Cotterell Court was 214.
 
Up Next
• Colgate hits the road Thursday to Siena.
• The Saints are 2-4 after Saturday's 74-71 double-overtime home win over Wagner at the TD Bank Classic hosted by Vermont.
• Start time from Loudonville in the Capital District is 7 p.m.