CLEMSON, S.C. – Colgate and Clemson traded blows in a game of runs, but the Tigers took control of the final six minutes to secure an 81-68 victory Sunday at Littlejohn Coliseum.
Colgate for the second straight game finished with four in double figures.
Tucker Richardson led the way with 16 points on 6-of-9 from the field and 4-of-7 from beyond the arc.
Will Rayman and
Jordan Burns both finished with 15, while
Rapolas Ivanauskas added 14.
The game was tighter than the final box score showed with 14 lead changes. Colgate started the second half 5-for-6 from downtown to turn an eight-point deficit into a 54-52 lead at the 12-minute mark. Richardson (2), Burns, Rayman, and Ivanauskas added 3-pointers during the swing.
Four lead changes featured the next six minutes and neither team led by more than three points. Ivanauskas converted a three-point play to tie the game 62-62 with 6:25 showing, but Colgate missed on its next three shots and went scoreless for nearly three minutes. Clemson, meanwhile, answered with seven straight points and took advantage in the paint to build a double-digit lead en route to the 81-68 final.
The first half started with a similar script. Rayman and Burns drained a pair of 3-pointers to give Colgate its largest lead 17-13 eight minutes in. A 15-2 run for the home team followed and Clemson established a 28-19 advantage, forcing a Colgate timeout with 5:45 left in the half.
Colgate shot right back with seven straight out of the timeout behind a pair of layups from Burns and Ivanauskas around another 3-pointer from Richardson to cut the margin back to two, 28-26. Rayman made a nice cut and finished with a two-handed slam to keep the deficit at two 30-28 before Clemson closed on an 8-2 spurt to hold a 38-30 lead at the half.
Richardson got the Raiders going in the second half with a trey from the corner on their first possession. Colgate continued the momentum with 11 of the next 15 points to tie things up at 47-47. In a series of runs down the stretch, Clemson pulled away late for the victory.
BOTTOM LINE
Clemson 81, Colgate 68
QUOTES
Head Coach Matt Langel
On the game:
"Credit to Clemson. They did what they had to do to win the game. Obviously our turnovers plagued us throughout. Clemson's length and athleticism is not something we go up against often and we did not adjust like we needed to."
On the final minutes:
"With all of those factors against us, we were still right there, where you want to be in a close game with a few minutes left. Hopefully not getting it done this time will help us learn about ourselves and find a way the next time we get a chance like this."
On two more tough tests coming up:
"It does not get any easier over the next week against Syracuse and Auburn. We will get right to work when get back to Hamilton tomorrow."
NOTABLES
- Four Raiders registered a 3-pointer in the game, led by Richardson with four.
- Burns and Rayman both finished with three from beyond the arc.
- Colgate for the game shot 45% from the field (26-of-57) and 33% from beyond the arc (11-of-33).
- Richardson, Rayman, and Ivanauskas led Colgate with six field goals apiece.
- Burns paced the Raiders on the glass with six rebounds.
- Ivanauskas scored in double figures for the 14th time in his last 15 games.
- His only outlier was against Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament in which he only played 16 minutes.
- Clemson scored 30 points off 18 Colgate turnovers and finished with 46 points in the paint.
- The Tigers' bench outscored Colgate's reserves 17-2.
UP NEXT
Colgate has another tough ACC test on Wednesday at Syracuse. Tip-off from the Carrier Dome is set for 7 p.m., and the game will be televised live on the Regional Sports Network.
