WASHINGTON – Francisco Amiel drained a game-tying 3-pointer with 28 seconds left in regulation and Colgate carried the momentum to overtime to defeat American 83-81 on Saturday afternoon in a back-and-forth Patriot League battle at Bender Arena.
Colgate never led in regulation but found itself down by just three 71-68 after a layup from
Tucker Richardson with just over a minute left in the game.
Needing a turnover on defense, Amiel forced a steal to give the Raiders possession and he swished the game-tying 3-pointer on an assist by Richardson with just 28 ticks left.
The Eagles had plenty of time to run the clock down and take the shot they wanted, but Richardson stole the ball away from American's leading scorer Sa'eed Nelson and time expired with the game level at 71-71.
The Raiders took their first lead of the game on Ivanauskas' early bucket in overtime. American briefly tied the game at 73-73 but Ivanauskas struck the dagger with a deep 3-pointer that put Colgate on top, 80-75.
American cut the gap to one point on two different occasions in the final 10 seconds but Colgate hit its free throws down the stretch to secure the 83-81 victory.
Burns paced three Raiders in double figures with 20 points. Ivanauskas posted 19 points and five rebounds, while
Dana Batt finished with 12 points and four blocks. Richardson once again stuffed the stat sheet with nine points, seven rebounds, seven assists, and two steals in the victory for the Raiders.
Colgate got off to a sluggish 0-of-3 start from the floor while American jumped out to a 9-0 lead at the first media timeout.
Burns brought Colgate back into the game with a trio of 3-pointers over a three-minute stretch to cut the margin to 16-11 eight minutes in.
Consecutive buckets from
Malcolm Regisford reeled Colgate into just a three-point margin 18-15 but the Raiders would get no closer in the first half.
Burns started off 4-of-4 from beyond the arc, with his latest 3-pointer capping a 6-0 run down the stretch to make it 34-31 with just over a minute left in the frame.
Jack Ferguson and Burns combined for 20 of the Raiders' points in the first half. American hit a pair of free throws in the final minute of the half to go into the locker room with a 36-31 advantage.
Burns continued his hot shooting in the second half with two more 3-pointers inside the first two minutes to bring Colgate within two at 38-36. Another trey from Burns, his sixth of the game, made it a one-point game at 40-39.
It remained a one-point lead for American at 52-51 after Richardson attacked the basket and got a reverse layup to fall. The Eagles kept their distance, however, and jumped back ahead 59-52 on a 3-pointer from Stacy Beckton Jr. midway through the frame.
Richardson and Larry Matuzis traded 3-pointers before Colgate responded with a 9-2 run to finally tie the game at 66-66 on a trey from Rayman with just under four minutes left.
Beckton Jr. put the Eagles back up by five at 71-66 with a minute and a half left. Colgate did not go away and scored the last five points of regulation, capped off by Amiel's late trey to send the game to overtime at 71-71.
The Raiders scored the first bucket in overtime and never trailed again en route to their 83-81 victory.
BOTTOM LINE
• Colgate 83, American 81 (OT)
RECORD UPDATES
• Colgate is now 17-10 overall and 9-5 in the Patriot League after the win.
• American fell to 13-12 on the season and 7-7 in league action with the loss.
FROM THE SOURCE
• Colgate head coach
Matt Langel:
On the team's fight: "This group definitely has a confidence in one another and a commitment to finding a way. It has certainly showed itself of late in a variety of ways to include guys making big shots, getting critical stops, and executing good game management late."
On the slower start: "Winning teams don't make excuses; they come ready to play and find ways to win. So we will talk about it and watch the film and do everything in our control to play or best any time we are on the court."
Looking ahead: "All games at this time of year are big. Tuesday so happens to be against the defending champions who sit in first place. Our guys have been determined since losing last year to put ourselves in the best position to compete for a championship again this year and Tuesday's game certainly impacts that."
KEY RAIDER NOTES
• The Raiders match their season-long win streak at four straight.
• Colgate improved to 1-2 in overtime games this season.
• The Raiders reach the 17-win plateau for the second straight year and 10th time in program history after setting the new record for most wins in a season with 19 last year.
• Eight road wins are the most for a Colgate men's basketball program since 2007-08.
• Colgate's lucky 13 3-pointers tied its season high.
• Burns' six 3-pointers tied his career high from earlier this year at Bucknell.
• The Raiders have trailed at halftime in three straight games but have won all three.
UP NEXT
• Colgate returns to Cotterell Court to host first-place Bucknell at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
