HAMILTON – Returning home for the first time in over a month, Colgate picked up right where it left off with an 82-72 triumph over Boston University on Saturday at Cotterell Court.
Tucker Richardson was just shy of a triple-double, finishing with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists.
Nelly Cummings scored 17 points and grabbed six rebounds.
Jeff Woodward posted 15 points and six boards, and
Jordan Burns netted 11 points to go with seven assists.
Colgate (10-1, 10-1 PL North) got off to a quick start and weathered tough shooting through the middle stages of the half. Woodward worked for back-to-back buckets and Richardson buried a trey in a quick 7-0 spurt to carry the Raiders out to an early 11-5 advantage.
Boston U (5-7, 3-7 PL North) eventually carried its 3-point shooting to an eight-point advantage late in the frame. Ethan Brittain-Watts and Walter Whyte both connected from long range and the Terriers pulled out to a 30-22 edge with 4:14 showing.
The Raiders found their stroke and in a flash reclaimed the lead for good.
Oliver Lynch-Daniels ended the scoring drought with a corner 3-pointer and two minutes later Cummings splashed another from the same spot to give Colgate a 35-34 advantage.
Cummings drained one more trey between two buckets from Woodward in a 10-0 streak. It was an 18-4 run over the final 4:14 and Colgate held a 40-34 lead at the intermission.
The Terriers trimmed the deficit to 53-51 midway through the second half with an 8-0 swing after 3-pointers from Garrett Pascoe and Whyte. It was still a two-point contest 64-62 with just over six minutes left, but Colgate found another gear with its drives down the stretch.
Richardson and Woodward combined for three and-one opportunities before back-to-back layups from Cummings turned a two-point lead into a 78-69 advantage.
Colgate connected on eight of its final 12 shots to close it out. Richardson iced the game from the free throw line and the Raiders cruised to their ninth straight win.
From the Source
Head Coach Matt Langel
On the game:
"A really good team win. Our offense didn't explode like it has at times and we had to figure out some other ways to win.
Ryan Moffatt's energy and toughness really impacted the game in the first half. We talked about that at halftime and as a group showed more of that in the second half. Despite not shooting great, we made enough connected plays on the offensive end to will our way."
Looking ahead to Sunday's game:
"Sunday's a new day. We have to watch the film and clean up some things. We also have to be prepared for Boston U to make some offensive adjustments as well. I'm looking forward to another opportunity for us to compete."
Notes
• The Raiders with 21 assists posted their fourth game of 20 or more this season.
• Colgate had four total such games in 2019-20.
•
Tucker Richardson notched his third double-double in the last five games.
• His 17 points and eight assists were both season highs.
•
Jeff Woodward's career-high 15 points came on 7-of-11 from the field.
•
Jordan Burns needs seven assists to break the career program record.
•
Nelly Cummings matched his career best with six rebounds.
Up Next
Colgate and Boston U complete their regular-season series on Sunday with a 1 p.m. tipoff at Cotterell Court. ESPN+ is carrying the live coverage.
