NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Rachel Thompson returned to action with a double-double but Yale withstood a fourth-quarter Colgate rally to prevail 80-61 here Tuesday night.
 
Thompson was off to a sparking start to her sophomore campaign last year before suffering an injury and missing the final 18 games. The Raiders went 3-15 in Thompson's absence.
 
Tuesday night, Thompson showed why she was missed as she led the Raiders with 11 points and 10 rebounds. It was her fourth career double-double.
 
Yale on a number of occasions seemed ready to put the Raiders away. The Bulldogs scored the first 14 points of the second quarter – part of a 17-0 run that turned a 17-14 ballgame into a 34-14 Yale lead.
 
Colgate then pulled the lead to within 42-31 by halftime only to watch the Bulldogs score the first 11 points of the third quarter for a 53-31 advantage, their largest of the game.
 
The Raiders didn't quit, however, drawing within 58-46 by the end of the third and then pulling as close as 58-52 on two Tegan Graham free throws with 7:55 remaining, and 60-54 on Abby Schubiger's jumper with 6:56 to play.
 
That's when Yale found another gear and outscored Colgate 20-7 the rest of the way to win its second in as many seasons over the visiting Raiders.
 
Summer King added 10 points and Nia Ahart came off the bench to score 10. Yale's Roxy Barahman tallied 25 to lead four Bulldogs in double figures.
 
Bottom Line
Yale 80, Colgate 61
 
Won-Lost Records
• Colgate begins the season 0-1.
• Yale is 1-0.
 
Stats of the Game
• There were four lead changes in the opening quarter before Yale went in front for keeps at 12-10 with 5:23 showing.
• Colgate's best scoring run was eight straight points to narrow the margin to 56-46 late in the third quarter. Graham and Mackenzie Carroll with three points apiece and Ahart with a bucket accounted for the Colgate points in that stretch.
• Schubiger's basket with 6:56 remaining in the game capped Colgate's 23-7 run over the previous 9:16 and made it 60-54.
• Colgate's bench posted a 31-15 scoring edge.
• Thompson added three assists and four steals. Carroll was Colgate's assist leader with four.
• Yale is coming off a season record for wins with 19, including the WBI championship.
 
From the Sources
• Head Coach Bill Cleary (On the game) "Obviously, there's disappointment because you don't like losing; no one likes losing. But there are a lot of positives to take away from this game. It's part of the process. We're learning how to finish games; we're learning how to win. And I'm really proud of how our kids just fought and fought and fought."
 
(On Rachel Thompson) "I'm thrilled she's back. Our players feed off of her. She brings an energy and a confidence and a swag that we want. She plays with her heart on her sleeve and she gives you everything she has without taking a play off. She had a really strong second half doing what we asked her to do in terms of taking her time and breathing. She did a much better job of that in the second half."

Listen to the rest of Coach Cleary's comments HERE.
 
Gate Grab Bag
• Attendance at Lee Amphitheater was 301.
 
Up Next
• It's a quick turnaround, as Colgate travels to Dayton for a Friday morning tipoff.
• The Flyers are playing their season opener.
• Start time from Dayton is 11 a.m. Eastern. Colgate's home opener is Nov. 15 against Cornell.