WEST POINT, N.Y. – Colgate knocked down 13 3-pointers and saw five players score in double figures en route to an 84-74 victory over Army on Saturday in a battle between the top two teams in the Patriot League North division.
Nelly Cummings and
Jordan Burns paced the Raiders offensively with 16 points apiece.
Jack Ferguson provided 15 points off the bench, while
Tucker Richardson posted a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Richardson also led Colgate with six assists.
Colgate (8-1, 8-1 PL North) was on fire from the perimeter early, starting 5-for-5 with four different Raiders connecting from downtown.
Ryan Moffatt and Richardson netted back-to-back treys before Burns swished a pair. Cummings added another on the back end of a 13-2 run that pushed Colgate in front 26-13 midway through the opening half.
A layup from Nick Finke ended Army's scoring drought that lasted nearly five minutes before a transition 3-ball from Ferguson handed Colgate a 29-15 advantage at the six-minute mark.
Army (9-5, 4-3 PL North) trimmed the deficit down to 31-22 after three made free throws by Lonnie Grayson with just over two minutes showing. That would be the halftime margin after Cummings finished a three-point play with two seconds left and Finke banked home a 3-pointer at the buzzer to go into the locker room with the Raiders in front 37-28.
Both teams started red-hot in the second half. Colgate drained four of its first five from long range, while Army countered 3-for-4 on the other end. 20 points were scored, 10 from each side, over a 1:45 span with Cummings netting the last five to nudge Colgate's lead to 53-41.
The Raiders kept their foot on the gas, opening the half 10-of-13 from the field. Ferguson blocked a shot on the defensive end and turned it into a transition 3-pointer in an 11-2 spurt to extend the Raiders' lead to a game-high 18 points 66-48 midway through the final frame.
More defense was on display down the stretch, with a
Keegan Records block leading to a Moffatt layup to put a stamp on the effort. Army scored the last five points to bring the deficit back down to 10. Colgate ended up holding a slim 47-46 edge in second-half scoring, but the Raiders' hot start was enough to coast to the 84-74 triumph.
From the Source
Head Coach Matt Langel
On the game:
"Our balance was really good. We started both halves well offensively, which is significant, especially on the road. With so many talented and efficient guys – nobody shot more than 10 times and only one guy played over 30 minutes – our balance definitely made us hard to guard. A few too many turnovers for my liking, but 18 assists is really good. For the most part we took what the defense gave us."
Notes
• Colgate's seven-game winning streak in Patriot League play is its longest since the Raiders won their last eight games of the 2018-19 regular season.
• Six of Colgate's eight wins this season have been by double-digits.
• The Raiders improved to 5-0 on the road in 2021.
• Tucker Richardson matched his career high with 11 rebounds.
• Five Raiders scored in double figures for the third time this season.
Up Next
Colgate and Army wrap up their regular season series with a 6 p.m. tilt on Sunday night from Christl Arena. CBS Sports Network is carrying the live broadcast.
