WORCESTER, Mass. - Colgate battled back to come within three points with ten seconds remaining in the game, but the Raiders could not close the gap and Holy Cross secured the 62-57 win on a chilly Saturday afternoon at the Hart Center. In a contest that saw nine lead changes and both teams making large runs, the limited fans allowed to attend were treated to some exciting basketball. Holy Cross's leading scorer, Avery LaBarbera, continued to do so with her game high 16 points and 13 rebounds, making that her fifth straight double double this season. Colgate was led by Taylor Golembiewski's career high 21 points and three steals. Alexa Brodie and Tiasia McMillan both added ten points and McMillan added eight boards. 

McMillan kicked off the scoring for the Raiders with her pull back jumper. Sophia Diehl was next to add points to the scoreboard. Brodie and Golembiewski each put in four points in the first quarter and Jenna Paul added a deuce to head to the bench tied at 14. 

Diehl put the first points on the board in the second quarter with a jump shot just outside the paint to take the lead. As the lead changed a few times the Raiders kept at it. Brodie drove to the basket for two more and drew the foul but missed the point after. On the next possession, Brodie missed the jump shot but Paul grabbed the rebound and put the ball right in the basket. Golembiewski had a steal and was fouled to go to the line and add two to increase the Raider lead to five. The Crusaders responded, scoring six unanswered points to retake the lead. Paul went to the line and put two in to give Colgate the 24-23 edge. Holy Cross responded with a three but Morgan McMahon came right back off an offensive rebound by Diehl to score two from the paint, tying the score at 26. Two back-to-back threes gave the Crusaders a six point lead before Golembiewski put two more points in, but in the last 30 seconds of the half Holy Cross added a basket.

At the start of the third quarter, Holy Cross had increased their lead to eight. Golembiewski helped the Raiders chip away with a layup and Paul scored next after she grabbed a defensive rebound. It was McMillan's turn to add points in the paint and on the next trip down the court grab a defensive rebound. Brodie took advantage of that rebound and put in her jump shot in that next possession. The Crusaders put on a strong offensive run and increased their lead to ten which was their largest of the game. At the end of the quarter, McMillan and Golembiewski each added a jump shot but the Raiders left the court down eight. 

The fourth quarter is where Colgate began to mount their fierce comeback. The Raiders saw McMillan put in back to back layups, McMahon sink two from the charity stripe and Golembiewski continued her hot shooting to tie it up at 48 with 6:43 left in the game. Holy Cross came back with a three but Brodie answered with a layup to pull within one. After a layup by Holy Cross, Golembiewski took a jump shot from outside the paint and scored, again putting the Raiders within one with 3:36 remaining. The see-saw continued with Holy Cross back up by three and Golembiewski knocked it back down to one with 2:48 on the clock. Holy Cross increased their lead to six before Golembiewski sank a shot beyond the arc with ten seconds to play. On the penultimate series of the game, Brodie fouled LaBarbera, who made both shots. With just eight seconds left, the Raiders were unable to get the ball in the net. Despite out-scoring the Crusaders in the final stanza, the Raiders fell just short of the win. 

FROM THE SOURCE
Head Coach Ganiyat Adeduntan

"I told my team post-game that I am proud of their fight and their toughness. We've struggled to display that at times this season, so I've challenged that and have been clear that I will not waiver with that expectation. We keep getting better and that's truly what matters most to me. Of course when we go back to watch film we will see possessions we wish we could get back but unfortunately that's not the way the game goes. We have shown that regardless of the score we will fight until the very end and that is just what we did today. We continue our process-driven focus as we take on another great team in Bucknell on Wednesday."

UP NEXT
Colgate returns home to Cotterell Court to host Bucknell on Wednesday, Jan. 19 at 6 p.m. Fans can purchase tickets at colgateathletics.com or watch live on ESPN+.