HAMILTON – Jenna Paul scored a career-high 18 points and Keelah Dixon added 13 but it wasn't enough in a 79-53 loss to Army here Saturday afternoon.
 
The Raiders, who are fighting through a bundle of injuries, started three first-year players and two returnees who played a combined 4½ minutes per game last season. Colgate dressed just eight players for the game, and it's a far cry from the Colgate squad that knocked off Army 87-76 in West Point to open the season back on Jan. 2.
 
Ariel Loiter, one of those making her first collegiate start, scored on an arching 6-footer to narrow an early Army lead to 6-5. But the Black Knights countered with a 6-0 run as Colgate went cold for the next 4:24, missing seven shots in a row.
 
Dixon ended that drought with three straight baskets and a personal 7-0 run over a 1:05 stretch to make it a 12-12 game with 2:58 showing in the first. Army scored the last five of the quarter to lead 17-12 at the first break.
 
The Black Knights early in the second put on a 10-0 spurt to increase their lead to 30-14. It was 41-27 at halftime and Army opened the third quarter scoring the first 12 and never looked back.
 
Colgate, which has played only within the Patriot League North Division thus far this season, dropped to 1-6. Army is now 7-7 overall and 3-4 in the PL North.
 
From the record-breaking 100-93 victory over Army in January 2020, Colgate on Saturday suited up exactly zero players who scored in that game compared to Army's three returnees who accounted for 49 points that day.


 
Bottom Line
• Army 79, Colgate 53
 
From the Source
• Head Coach Bill Cleary: (On his limited numbers) "We knew today was going to be a tough task but our players fought hard. Sometimes, they try too hard and we are telling them that basketball is basketball. Just go out there and play.
 
"No matter what is going on in the game, we have to stay in the moment and stay in the now. The things we worked on this week worked, but too often we lose our discipline."
 
(On Jenna Paul's play) "Jenna shot the ball well, and that's something we believe Jenna is going to be able to do for us down the line consistently. We were really happy to see that from her."


 
Stats of the Game
• Paul's previous scoring high was nine earlier this year in the Sunday loss at Army.
• In addition to her point total, Paul's six made field goals and four made 3-pointers also were career highs.
• Alexa Naessens filled up the stat sheet with five points, three assists and six steals in 23 minutes.
• The six steals were a career high and the most by a Raider since Rachel Thompson had six against Siena back in December 2019.
• Morgan Frank joined Loiter in drawing her first collegiate starting assignment.
• Dixon tied for team honors with six rebounds and three assists.
• Tiasia McMillan also had six boards.
• Army's Lauren Lithgow led all scorers with 19 points, followed by Natalie Stralkus with 16 and Taylor Sullivan 13.
• The Black Knights connected on a season-high 13 3-pointers, finishing 13-of-32 for 40.6 percent.


 
Up Next
• Colgate and Army play Game 2 of their weekend series Sunday in Hamilton. Tipoff is 3 p.m., with ESPN+ carrying the livestream.