HAMILTON – Rapolas Ivanauskas scored 22 points to lead four in double figures and top-seeded Colgate knocked off No. 5 seed Navy 80-70 on Sunday afternoon in the Patriot League Tournament Semifinals at Cotterell Court.
 
Colgate extends its winning streak to 10 and will host the tournament title game for the first time in 23 years. The red-hot Raiders will take on second-seeded Bucknell for an NCAA Tournament berth on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m.
 
Ivanauskas' 22 points were a game high. Jack Ferguson finished with 19 points on 3-of-5 from beyond the arc in 18 minutes off the bench, while Tucker Richardson tallied 15 and Will Rayman added 13 to go with nine rebounds.

Rayman got off to another strong start, scoring five points inside the first four minutes. His first trey tied things up at 9-9 and it was knotted again 12-12 on a 3-pointer from Richardson.
 
Richardson's 3-pointer sparked a 10-0 run for the Raiders, who jumped out to a 19-12 lead after an emphatic Ivanauskas dunk brought the Cotterell faithful to their feet.
 
Ferguson scored six straight points, and Richardson drained a trey plus the foul to stretch Colgate's lead to double digits 31-21 at the under-8 media timeout.
 
A second-chance jumper from Navy's Hasan Abdullah ended nearly a three-minute scoring drought for the visitors, but Ferguson cashed in on another 3-pointer from the top of the key to keep the Raider lead in double figures 36-23 with just under four minutes showing in the half.
 
Navy shifted momentum in its favor late in the half and capitalized with the last four points to slim Colgate's lead down to 42-34 at the half.
 
Richardson scored the first bucket of the second half but the Raiders missed their next four. The Midshipmen got off to a tough start as well, going 0-of-5 from the field before Richardson drained another triple to push the lead to 47-34.
 
Navy battled back to score five straight points, but Ivanauskas countered with five straight points himself, capped off by a trey to extend Colgate's lead to match its largest of the second half at 52-39.
 
George Kiernan, who led Navy in the game with 19 points, hit a 3-pointer as part of five unanswered points to cap a 13-6 run for the Midshipmen over a five-minute span that closed the margin to 58-52 midway through the second.
 
The Raider lead shrunk all the way down to two points at 61-59 on a pair of free throws from Evan Wieck with 5:33 showing. Ferguson, who ignited the Raiders with one big shot after another, hit a pivotal 3-pointer and Colgate shot back with a 5-0 run to pull out front 66-59 a minute later.
 
Kiernan kept the Midshipmen in it with another 3-pointer to make it 74-70 with just 46 seconds left. Navy regained possession with the same score, but Ivanauskas drew a crucial offensive charge to end the threat.
 
Ivanauskas and Ferguson combined to go 6-for-6 from the charity stripe down the stretch and Cotterell erupted with the Raiders in pure elation on their way to the 80-70 victory.

BOTTOM LINE
• Colgate 80, Navy 70
 
RECORD UPDATES
• Colgate improved to 23-10 overall with the win.
• Navy saw its season come to an end with a 12-19 record.  
• The Raiders are now 14-1 at Cotterell Court.

FROM THE SOURCE

Colgate head coach Matt Langel:
 
On the game:  "I am really proud of this group. It has been nearly 365 days since last year's championship loss and we have worked so hard to get back here. We have a true team. They share with one another and they stepped up and did a great job. That is why we have been able to be successful this year."

On showing emotion at the end of the game: "It is not usually my style. I try to be even-keeled and manage the emotions because that is the best way for me to coach our team. It was a key moment in the game; Jack got a key rebound and it was a chance for the crowd to erupt. I wanted everyone to share in that emotion and joy that I knew our players were feeling." 
 
On holding off Navy in the second half: "We expect nothing less from Navy. They are an extremely well-coached and disciplined team. It has been an honor to compete against them and their seniors. I am proud that they represent our country. They are the type of men that make our country what it is. Navy played really well down the stretch, but our guys once again answered the bell. They stayed together, stuck with the plan, and helped one another along the way. That is the group we have become." 

On hosting the championship: "We will go about our business the same way we have all season. This time of year, we want to stay sharp so we will prepare accordingly. I hope we can go out there and play our best because this is what we have worked all year for." 
 
KEY RAIDER NOTES
• Colgate will host the Patriot League Tournament Championship for the first time since 1996.  
• The Raiders' 14 home victories are a program record.
• Colgate matches its longest win streak in school history that has stood for 90 years (1926-27, 28-29).
• The Raiders earn their first semifinal win over Navy and improve to 6-2 all-time against the Midshipmen in the Patriot League Tournament.
• Ivanauskas has now scored 20 or more points in 11 games this season.  
• Ferguson's 19 points were three shy of his career high, and his most since setting that mark with 22 at Siena on Nov. 24, 2018.
• Ferguson has reached double figures in three of the last four games.
• His three 3-pointers and five field goals made tied his season highs.
• Four Raiders finished in double figures for the fourth consecutive game. 
• Francisco Amiel passed Sean O'Brien '18 for the most games played in a Raider uniform with 128.
• With 10 3-pointers, Colgate has hit double-digit treys in eight of its last nine games during the 10-game winning streak. 
• Colgate shot 52 percent (26-of-50) from the field, improving to 13-1 when shooting 50 percent or better.

'GATE GRAG BAG
• Attendance at Cotterell Court was 1,089.

UP NEXT
• Colgate and Bucknell will square off in the championship for the second straight year.
• The Raiders and Bison split the regular-season series, with Colgate winning the more recent game 75-64 in Hamilton on Feb. 19.
• Tip-off from Cotterell Court is set for 7:30 p.m. and the game will air nationally on CBS Sports Network.
• Tickets can be purchased by calling the Colgate Athletics ticket office at 315-228-4062 or by visiting the Reid Athletic Center during regular business hours.