HAMILTON – Nine months in the waiting, Colgate made its 2020-21 season opener one to remember with a 101-57 rout of Army on Saturday at Cotterell Court.
Colgate's 101 points were its most since producing the same output at The Citadel in 2016. It was the second time Colgate has eclipsed 100 points in the 128 head-to-head meetings, and the largest margin of victory in the series that began in 1904.
The Raiders led from start to finish with five players in double figures.
Nelly Cummings matched his career high with 24 points,
Jordan Burns had 20 points and eight assists, and
Keegan Records posted his first collegiate double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
Tucker Richardson finished with 13 points on a perfect 5-of-5 from the field and added six assists to go with five rebounds.
Jack Ferguson added 10 points off the bench for the Raiders.
Colgate shot 65% (41-of-63) from the field, its best mark since Feb. 25, 2015, when the Raiders connected on 66% (33-of-50) in a 95-83 win over Lafayette.
Burns scored the first seven points of the game and Colgate raced out to an early 13-3 lead after a 3-pointer from Cummings. The Raiders used another 13-2 run to extend their lead to 26-7 nine minutes into the game. Army closed the gap to 14 on a pair of occasions before
Ryan Moffatt connected from downtown to lead the Raiders to a 50-27 advantage at the break.
Colgate (1-0) followed up 50 in the first half with 51 in the final 20:00. Records posted 10 points and nine boards to lead all scorers in the second half.
Army (4-2) never closed within 25 points and the Raiders cruised to a season-opening 44-point victory.
Freshman big man
Jeff Woodward was solid off the bench with six points and eight rebounds. Along with Woodward,
Sam Thomson,
Oliver Lynch-Daniels,
Nicholas Evtimov, and
Alex Capitano all made their Colgate debuts in the win.
Bottom Line
Colgate 101, Army 57
From the Source
Head Coach Matt Langel
On the game:
"Our guys were super excited this week. We have really gotten after it to be ready for this moment. Knowing how much has gone into this, watching our student-athletes out there playing the game they love was a great thing, especially during this time that has not been easy for a lot of people.
"Our success today started on the defensive end. When we can get out in transition, our defense leads to offense. We have a lot of weapons. We were sharing the ball well and hitting on all cylinders. Our guys were excited to be out there today and it showed.
"We cannot expect the game Sunday to go in a similar fashion. How we can adjust and respond to a different flow of game is going to be important."
Key Stats of the Game
Colgate won the rebounding battle 44-23 and outscored Army in the paint 52-22. The Raiders finished with five in double figures and Army had zero.
Notes
- Colgate has won four in a row over Army to take a 66-62 lead in the all-time series.
- Cummings' 24 points tied his career high from last year at Army and his nine field goals made are a new personal best.
- Records' 12 rebounds were a career high, eclipsing his 10 boards last season against Cortland.
- Burns with eight assists moved into second all-time with 426 for his career. Hasan Brown '94 holds the program record with 484.
- Records (6-of-6) and Richardson (5-of-5) were both perfect from the field.
- Moffatt and Records both made their first collegiate starts.
- Colgate lowered its 2019-20 Patriot League Regular Season Championship banner prior to tip-off.
- All Colgate players wore 'United Against Racial Injustice' shirts in warmups and on the bench to represent their unity in the need for change.
Up Next
Colgate and Army close out opening weekend with a rematch on Sunday. Tipoff from Cotterell Court is 3 p.m., with ESPN+ carrying the livestream.
