HAMILTON – Have a week,
Rachel Thompson!
Photo Gallery
Colgate's Patriot League Player of the Year candidate followed up a clutch 25-point performance Wednesday at Loyola – one that saw her eclipse 1,000 points for her career – with the first triple-double in program history Saturday against Navy.
Thompson poured in 20 points and added 10 rebounds and 10 assists to help the Raiders past Navy 80-55 for their seventh consecutive home victory.
Two facts of note there.
First, Colgate's seven-game home winning streak matches the longest in program history. The 2003-04 Patriot League champion Raiders won their final seven at home that season, including three in the conference tournament, to punch their NCAA tournament ticket.
And second, Saturday's 25-point winning margin is the third-largest in Colgate's 30 years of Patriot League play. And the biggest one at home in 29 years.
Not since a 74-45 blitz of Lehigh back on Feb. 13, 1991 – the first season of Patriot League basketball – have the home fans seen such a one-sided conference victory. The only other one better was a 72-45 thumping at Loyola on Jan. 24, 2015.
Colgate led 25-18 at the end of one quarter and 44-29 at intermission. The Raiders in the third quarter worked the lead to as much as 52-34 before Navy finished that period strong and trailed only 58-46 heading the fourth.
But that's when Colgate put the hammer down, outscoring the Mids 13-0 to start the period. Thompson capped the run by grabbing her 10th rebound and racing up court to find a streaking
Ava Williams for her 10th assist, securing the triple-double in one play. The layup by Williams made it 71-46 with 5:17 remaining.
Colgate's largest lead peaked at 74-48 on
Haley Greer's 3-pointer with 4:40 showing, and the Raiders coasted from there.
Thompson in two games this week averaged 22.5 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists, shot 64.3 percent (18-of-28) from the floor, was 3-of-6 from 3-point range and 6-of-7 at the free throw line.
Colgate pocketed its fifth win of 20 points or more, breaking the old mark of four set by the 2003-04 champions. And Colgate won its 19th straight game (10-0 this season) when scoring at least 70 points.
The Raiders improved to 11-4 overall and 3-1 in the Patriot League, tied for third place in the early going. Navy lost its seventh straight and is 5-10 and 0-4.
Bottom Line
• Colgate 80, Navy 55
From the Sources
•
Head Coach Bill Cleary (On the home win) "Home court is definitely treating us right, there's no question. I love the support we are getting from the community and that's a big part of it. But the thing I'm enjoying from us offensively is how unselfish we are, how we are making those extra passes and looking for one another. They are understanding that the ball will find its way back to you. It's fun watching us offensively right now."
Listen to the rest of Coach Cleary's comments
HERE.
•
Senior Rachel Thompson (On her triple-double) "It's amazing. Obviously, I couldn't do it without my teammates. They were getting open, they were scoring – I was just telling (Alexa) Brodie that I had no idea. That kind of thing is not on my mind."
Stats of the Game
• Check the stats Monday because
Abby Schubiger likely will be the Patriot League leader in field goal percentage
.
• Schubiger sparkled yet again, finishing 8-of-10 from the floor and scoring 16 points. She's up to 54.9 percent for the season
and averaging 10.7 points.
• Colgate for the game shot a blistering 57.9 percent, the team's second-best effort of the season behind only the record 63.3 percent last Sunday against Army
.
• The Raiders were 9-of-11 in that fourth quarter to put the game out of reach
.
• Thompson was 8-of-11 from the floor and is up to 53.4 percent for the season. She also will be among the league leaders when the statistics are updated
.
• Greer joined the top 15 in Colgate career 3-pointers made with her 82nd trey.
• Not only did Saturday's win snap a seven-game home losing streak to Navy, but it's the first time in 10 years the Raiders swept the service academies in Cotterell Court.
• Mimi Schrader led Navy with 11 points
.
Gate Grab Bag
• Attendance at Cotterell Court was 375.
Up Next
• Cotterell Court is sold out Wednesday for the annual Kids Day game against Lafayette.
• The Leopards are 6-8 overall and 2-2 in the Patriot League after Saturday's 55-52 overtime home victory over Loyola.
• Tipoff is 11 a.m., with the Patriot League Network and 94 WKXZ-FM carrying all the action.
