WASHINGTON – Defending Patriot League champion American put four scorers in double-figures en route to a 76-57 triumph over Colgate here Sunday afternoon.
 
Both teams are 1-1 in conference play.
 
Colgate was hampered by foul trouble seemingly from the opening tip, as Rachel Thompson, Mylah Chandler and Chelsey Koren all picked up two fouls in the first quarter.
 
The host Eagles took advantage, making 11-of-16 free throw attempts in that opening 10 minutes to lead 26-15. The Raiders fell behind in the second stanza 37-21 on a 3-pointer by Morgan Bartner with 6:18 showing.
 
Bartner off the bench scored 12 points in the quarter after coming into the game averaging 1.7 for a full 40 minutes. She wound up leading all scorers with 15.
 
Colgate put together a 9-1 run powered by three points from Koren and two apiece from Tegan Graham, Summer King and Ava Williams. It was 39-30 with 4:08 on the clock.
 
But American flipped the momentum once more, closing the half on a 10-1 run to lead 49-31 at intermission. The Raiders were 0-of-5 from the field with a turnover during that final 4:08.
 
American in the second half built its largest lead of the game at 65-38 on Emily Fisher's layup with 2:37 showing. It was 68-45 at the end of three quarters.
 
The Raiders were led by Thompson's 13 points and 12 rebounds, marking her fourth double-double of the season and seventh career. Chandler added 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting.
 
Bottom Line
• American 76, Colgate 57
 
Won-Lost Records
• Colgate is now 5-7 overall and 1-1 in the Patriot League.
• American improved to 5-8 and 1-1.
 
Stats of the Game
• With 3:27 left before halftime, Thompson poured herself over the scorers table in pursuit of a loose rebound. The game was held up for about 5 minutes as Thompson received treatment before she walked to the bench under her own power.
• Thompson finished the game with 13 points and 12 rebounds in 20 minutes of action.
• Colgate's 17-of-21 showing at the free throw line for 81 percent was its second-best game of the season, trailing only the 11-of-12 against Columbia.
• Summer King's career-best eight-game streak of scoring in double-figures ended Sunday. She had five points but did lead the team with two assists.
• Katlyn Ghavidel saw her first collegiate action over the game's final three minutes and scored six points. The Texan converted a three-point-play and then swished her first college 3-pointer.
• Keelah Dixon had a career-high three steals.
• American was 18-of-26 from the free throw line in the first half to Colgate's 7-of-9, accounting for 11 of the 18-point halftime lead.
• American's win was its 25th in a row over Colgate, dating to 2007. The Eagles lead the all-time series 34-6 and are 16-2 at home against the Raiders.
• Sunday's game snapped a five-game losing streak for the Eagles, who played arguably the Patriot League's toughest nonconference schedule. AU took on top-10 Stanford, Florida Gulf Coast, Virginia, Penn State and 12-0 Ohio.
• The previous scoring high for Bartner was eight points at Hawaii earlier this season.
 
From the Source
• Head Coach Bill Cleary (On the game) "We have to be able to fight through tough starts like today, and not just our players but us as a staff. OK, things happen that change our lineup and change our plan. But we all have to adjust and we all have to be ready for those situations.
 
"We did a lot of good things. I'd like to have back that 10-1 run against us at the end of the first half. We had cut it to 39-30 and doing a lot of good things. Rachel Thompson – that play right there describes perfectly the type of person and player she is. She so team-focused and team-oriented.
 
"That 10-1 run was tough because we were starting to overcome all of the bad things that had happened to us in the early going. We made a little run and then we let it get away from us again."
 
Gate Grab Bag
• Attendance at Bender Arena was 380.
 
Up Next
• Colgate is home Wednesday for its annual Kids Game, with Lafayette providing the opposition.
• The Leopards are 6-7 overall and 1-1 in conference after Sunday's 73-63 home court victory over Holy Cross.
• Start time is noon from Cotterell Court, with the Patriot League Network and WKXZ-FM carrying all the action.