HAMILTON – Best start in program history.
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Colgate added that fun fact to its 2019-20 pre-Patriot League résumé with an 88-51 dismantling of Siena here Wednesday night.
The Raiders led early and often, bursting to a 22-8 lead by the end of the first quarter and outscoring the Saints in every period thereafter. The lead grew as large as 78-33 midway in the fourth before Colgate coasted to the finish.
Five Raiders landed in double-figures, but no one scored 20 and nine of the 12 players dressed for the game found the scoring column.
Rachel Thompson led them all with 19 to go with seven rebounds, six assists and a career-tying six steals.
Abby Schubiger posted her collegiate scoring high with 15, while
Tegan Graham added 14,
Taylor Langan 11 and
Alexa Brodie 10. Sabrina Piper paced Siena (1-5) with 18 points.
Colgate shot better than 50 percent for the second straight game, finishing at 51.5. The Raiders in the second half were 21-of-36 for 58.3 percent, scoring 51 points.
The 2003-04 Patriot League champions set the previous nine-game mark at 6-3. And while it's true that any "best start" argument is fluid because of the varying number of games and definitions, the undisputable fact is this: No Colgate team has ever been 7-2 or better through nine games.
Zip. Zero. Nada.
And Colgate is doing it by beating teams that, frankly, have had their way with the Raiders through the years. Siena entered Cotterell Court with an 18-3 series edge that included 11 wins in the last 12 meetings. Niagara had won six in a row over Colgate before Sunday's turnaround.
Those two teams are the third and fourth that Colgate has flipped from a loss a year ago into a victory this season, joining Yale and NJIT from last month.
Bottom Line
• Colgate 88, Siena 51
From the Sources
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Assistant Coach Lauren Ellis (On the win) "Credit to our players. They came out, followed the game plan, shared the basketball – we had 22 assists this game, 27 assists against Niagara. When we play team basketball like this, we're a tough team to beat and they proved that tonight."
Listen to the rest of Coach Ellis' comments
HERE.
•
Senior Tegan Graham (On the victory) "In my three years here playing Siena, we haven't had the best record against them. But we really came out and wanted to win. We focused on playing our game and doing the things we needed to do to get that win today."
•
Senior Abby Schubiger (On the team's performance) "It was exciting to see; we got everybody in. Every single person who suited up got in, and that's what Colgate Women's Basketball is about. You could see our energy on the bench, and that's awesome. We're definitely playing as a team and we love to see that."
Listen to the rest of the PLN/WKXZ-FM postgame show
HERE.
Stats of the Game
• Wednesday's 37-point victory was the largest for the program since an 84-37 triumph over Division III Puerto Rico-Mayaguez on Nov. 25, 2001.
• It missed by one point tying the record for largest margin of victory against a Division I opponent, set when Colgate opened its 1990-91 season with an 86-48 blowout at Northeastern.
• Colgate's win was the fourth out of seven victories by 20 or more points, already tying the 2003-04 champions for most in one season in the Colgate Women's Basketball Division I era.
• The Raiders led 29-18 with 4:31 remaining in the second quarter but scored the last eight points of the first half and the first 10 points of the second half to cap an 18-0 run over a 7:24 span.
• Thompson with her six steals vaulted into Colgate's career top 10 with 165, passing Ellen Murray (1989-92) at 161.
• Colgate won for the 15th straight time when scoring at least 70 points. The Raiders are 6-0 this season.
Gate Grab Bag
• Attendance at Cotterell Court was 282.
Up Next
• Colgate steps up in class again and plays its final nonconference road game Sunday at Alabama.
• The Crimson Tide are 5-2 heading into Thursday's home game against Iowa State.
• Tipoff Sunday is 2 p.m. Central time from Tuscaloosa, with SEC Network+ carrying the livestream.
