SYRACUSE, N.Y. – 59 years in the making and Colgate has its signature win in the Matt Langel era.
 
The Raiders blitzed Syracuse's zone defense with 18 made 3-pointers and rocked the dome for their first win over the Orange since 1962.
 
Jack Ferguson (25) and Nelly Cummings (18) combined for 43 points and 12 made 3s. Oliver Lynch-Daniels and Tucker Richardson reached double figures in scoring with 12 and 11, respectively.
 
Colgate kept pace with Syracuse's high-octane offense and finished the night with a remarkable 26 assists on 32 made field goals while limiting turnovers to 11.
 
Syracuse got 27 points from Joseph Girard III, who was 5-of-8 from behind the arc. It was a three-point shooting barrage between Girard, Ferguson, and Cummings, and this night belonged to the maroon and white.
 
The Raiders had lost 54 in a row to their crosstown rivals, the longest active losing streak in Division I. Saturday's win marks Colgate's first over a power five opponent since defeating Ole Miss 53-51 in 1995.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Colgate overcame a slow start in which the Raiders missed their first 12 three-point field goal attempts allowing Syracuse to establish an early 22-5 lead.
 
Hard work from Keegan Records and Jeff Woodward kept Colgate within reach. Trailing 31-22 with 7:34 left in the half, the Raiders finished the half on a 24-12 run and never trailed again.
 
With Colgate leading 46-43 at halftime, Syracuse trimmed the deficit to two twice in the first two minutes of the second half, and it was 48-46 when Colgate shot right back with a 9-2 run. Six of those points were scored by Ferguson, who buried a 3-pointer and sank all three free throws after he was fouled.
 
Ferguson and Girard were going toe-to-toe in an old-fashioned shootout. Syracuse came marching back after Colgate had led by as many as 10. A pair of free throws from Cole Swider trimmed the margin to five (84-79), but the Raiders scored the next seven points to put the game away. Woodward had three points and a blocked shot during the stretch.
 
A layup from Records made it 91-79 with 2:11 left. The lead continued to grow despite Syracuse's full-court pressure, and Cummings' last 3-pointer gave the Raiders triple digits in the 100-85 victory.

Colgate shot 45% from the field and finished 18-of-43 (41.9%) from behind the arc. The Raiders outworked Syracuse on the glass 44-34 with 19 offensive rebounds.

FROM THE SOURCE
Head Coach Matt Langel

"I am immeasurably proud of the group. This is a terrific way to end a busy eight-day stretch for the team, one that tested us and taught us a lot about ourselves, about how good we can be and also how much attention to detail matters. Everyone played great, but it's extremely fitting for the two guys who made the decision to return to Colgate this season, Nelly and Jack, to have such great performances. The shooting, of course, but Nelly had seven assists and zero turnovers. Jack started cold and shot himself and us back into it. They believed in themselves and their teammates, helping to will us to this win."

UP NEXT
Colgate returns to the court next Wednesday, Nov. 24, for a 7 p.m. game at Harvard.