HAMILTON – Five Raiders scored in double figures and Colgate took over sole possession of first place in the Patriot League with a 79-70 victory over Boston University on Saturday at Cotterell Court.
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Will Rayman led the way for the Raiders, scoring a season-high 21 points and grabbing 13 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season.
Tucker Richardson added 13 points,
Nelly Cummings and
Jordan Burns both chipped in with 11, while
Rapolas Ivanauskas finished with 10. Burns also dealt seven assists in the win.
Colgate (14-5, 5-1 Patriot) with the win avenged its only home loss of 2018-19, improved to 8-0 at home this season, and extended its home win streak to 15.
The Raiders got off to a scorching start. Rayman set the tone with a big rejection on Boston University's first possession and Colgate connected on its first four shots. Three straight 3-pointers from Rayman, Richardson, and Burns sparked an 11-0 Raiders lead.
Boston University, meanwhile, missed on its first five attempts, but back-to-back 3-pointers from Javante McCoy and Walter Whyte brought the Terriers within 16-14 eight minutes into the half. Both teams finished with six 3-pointers in the opening frame.
Keegan Records fought traffic inside for a layup and Colgate shot back with a 10-3 spurt over the next three-plus minutes. Cummings splashed a trey and the Raiders jumped out to their largest lead of the half 26-17 before the under-eight media timeout.
Boston University (10-9, 4-2 Patriot) cut the deficit back to four on back-to-back buckets from Sukhmail Mathon and Jonas Harper, and that would be the margin at the half 36-32 after
David Maynard corralled an offensive board and netted a 16-footer.
The Terriers came fast out of the gates in the second half, using a quick 6-2 streak to draw the game even for the first time since it was 0-0 after a pair of treys from Whyte and Harper tied the game at 38-38 less than two minutes in.
But Colgate countered right back with 10 straight points to take the lead for good. Richardson and Burns buried 3-pointers and a driving layup by Rayman pushed the Raiders in front 48-38 two minutes later. Colgate extended its lead to as many as 12 after Cummings sank a pair of free throws.
Boston University's Ethan Brittain-Watts connected on two free throws in a 5-0 run that brought the Terriers back within four at 61-57, but Rayman immediately answered with a triple on the other end to halt the momentum.
Once more, the Terriers closed it to three 67-64 with 4:44 showing, but Ivanauskas powered his way under the hoop for a quick layup and Cummings buried a triple off an assist from Burns to get the Raiders back on top 73-64 with 2:40 left in regulation.
Colgate outscored Boston University 12-6 over the final 4:44 and Burns sank a pair of free throws in the final seconds to seal the 79-70 victory.
BOTTOM LINE
Colgate 79, Boston University 70
QUOTES
Head Coach Matt Langel
On the bounce-back win:
"Every game is important. That is always our message for lots of reasons, but mostly because it's the next game. But yes, this was important because we were coming back home against a team with the same record as us and we were coming off a setback. Once again, our guys responded and did what we needed to in order to secure the win."
On finishing strong:
"Our group has been in these situations a number of times. They believe in one another and have confidence in their abilities to win. We did a good job managing the game, working to make sure we got great shots and were determined to rebound. We got Rapolas [Ivanauskas] inside for a basket and then we found Nelly [Cummings] for a big three after a stop to give us a little breathing room."
On the balanced scoring and ball movement:
"We are at our best when the ball moves and our guys are playing off one another and for each other. We definitely did that today and at times as well as we have all season."
On Bucknell next:
"Like always, Bucknell is expected to be in the hunt for championships. They have a lot of depth and a number of guys that can hurt you. With our students returning to campus and a national television audience, I hope it is a great atmosphere for a college basketball game."
GAME NOTES
- Colgate is one of 16 teams in the country to have five players averaging double figures.
- Boston University came in on a three-game winning streak with a margin of victory of 13.6 points against conference opponents.
- Rayman became one of six players in Patriot League history to eclipse 1,500 points and 700 rebounds.
- Rayman was a perfect 4-of-4 from behind the arc and finished 7-of-10 from the field in his first 20-point performance of the season.
- His seven field goals made were a season high, all in 27 minutes of playing time.
- Ivanauskas reached double figures for the eighth consecutive game in the win.
- Colgate connected on six treys in each half, finishing 12-of-30 (40%) in the game.
- The Raiders rank in the top 30 nationally in assist-turnover ratio (1.3) and finished with 17 assists to seven turnovers in the win.
- Colgate posted 13 offensive rebounds to outscore Boston University 12-5 in second-chance points.
- The Raiders never trailed, with the game tied just once in the second half, 38-38.
UP NEXT
Colgate and Bucknell renew their rivalry with a Patriot League championship rematch on Monday night at Cotterell Court. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m., and the game will be nationally televised on CBS Sports Network.
