HAMILTON – Colgate continued its home-court mojo Sunday with a 71-52 triumph over Fairleigh Dickinson.
 
The Raiders were brilliant in the first half, racing to a 38-16 advantage thanks mainly to their defense. Colgate held FDU to just 5-of-30 shooting from the floor during the opening 20 minutes.
 
Colgate, meanwhile, used a 9-0 run in the first quarter that turned a 9-7 lead into 18-7 over a 3:10 stretch. Rachel Thompson scored the first five points of that outburst and Summer King the last four.
 
In the second quarter, Colgate outscored FDU 20-7 with all 20 points coming on 2-point field goals. King scored eight of her 13 points in the period and Colgate went into halftime leading 38-16.
 
After Fairleigh Dickinson narrowed the gap to 52-39 at the end of three and then 54-44 with 6:01 remaining, the Raiders were able to refocus and maintain double-digit advantages the rest of the way. Greer was the late-game spark, scoring eight of her 13 over the final 5½ minutes.
 
The Raiders improved to 3-0 on Cotterell Court.
 
Thompson was the overall scoring leader with 23 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the field. She improved her season scoring mark to 13.7, tops on the team. She's also pacing the Raiders in rebounding at 8.7, shooting at 55.1 percent, assists with 25 and steals with 14.
 
Bottom Line
• Colgate 71, Fairleigh Dickinson 52
 
Won-Lost Records
• Colgate is now 3-4.
• Fairleigh Dickinson dropped to 2-5.
 
Stats of the Game
• Mylah Chandler matched her career high set earlier this season with 12 rebounds. She's at 7.9 for the season.
• Chandler also blocked two shots for the third straight game and the fourth time this season. One of those swats – well, it's a good thing the side doors were closed because that ball would still be bouncing down the street.
• Chelsey Koren broke her career mark for assists in a game with six – all in the first half.
• Thompson finished one point shy of her season best and just two away from her collegiate high.
• King missed a free throw! That might not seem like big news but the senior had made her first 17 attempts this season. She's now at 94.4 percent for the season.
 
From the Source
• Head Coach Bill Cleary (On the first half) "We came out really intense, following the game plan and doing exactly what we wanted to do. Our defense was just on point, and our players did a great job of converting stops into points.
 
"It was a fun first half and I'm really proud of how we executed."
 
(On Chelsey Koren) "Here's someone who doesn't always understand how much value she provides our team. She is so important to what we are doing here, and it was so great for her to realize that tangible contribution with the six assists."
 
(On Rachel Thompson) "Rachel does so much for us. She plays with so much passion and so much energy, and it's fun watching a player like Rachel because she almost never takes a play off. She always gives 100 percent for her teammates and for this program – so unselfish. She just has that competitive fire and that competitive edge to want to win, and she's going to do whatever it takes to win."
 
(On Mylah Chandler) "One of the things I hope Raider Nation realizes is how important Mylah Chandler is on this floor. Maybe she doesn't score as much as she would like but she knows her value and she knows what is important. What she does for us on that defensive end is so valuable. And she's done a great job of mentoring Ava Williams, who is doing a nice job as well. The value Mylah brings is tremendous."
 
Gate Grab Bag
• Attendance at Cotterell Court was 222.
 
Up Next
• Colgate returns to the road with a midweek trip to UMass Lowell.
• The River Hawks are 3-5 after Sunday's 63-54 defeat at Holy Cross.
• Start time Wednesday is 7 p.m. from the Costello Athletic Center, with the game available via ESPN+.