HAMILTON – Colgate continues its home game streak, defeating Niagara University 78-68 in overtime.
The Raider and Purple Eagles were tied eight different times throughout the game leading to Colgate's first overtime win since the 2019-20 season.
The Raiders came out the gate hot, going on an 8-2 run, with six points coming from
Taylor Golembiewski. Niagara broke up Colgate's run with a three-pointer. The Raiders retaliated with a 4-2 run to lead 12-7.
Colgate continued the offense, going on a 4-0 run, including a pair of extra points from
Sophia Diehl. Niagara went on a quick 3-0 run to trail by only six points. Colgate capped off the first quarter with a layup by
Chidinma Okafor to lead 18-10 going into the second quarter.
A 2-0 Niagara run opened quarter two, lasting almost four minutes. Sophomore
Morgan McMahon broke up the scoring lull after scoring a free throw.
The Raiders took another trip to the charity stripe as
Jenna Paul made two to bump their Raiders lead to 21-14. Niagara broke up Colgate's 3-0 run with their trip to the foul line. The Purple Eagles scored a jumper right after their free throw to trail 21-17.
Paul scored a three-pointer to break up the run, but the Purple Eagles scored back-to-back in the paint trail, Colgate, by only one point. Niagara went for their third straight in the paint to get their first lead of the game at 25-24.
Freshman
Christina Midgette took the lead back for the Raiders after scoring a pair of free throws. Unfortunately, Niagara went on a 4-0 run to end the first half of play to lead 29-27. Nine of the 18 points scored in the second quarter came from the charity stripe.
Niagara came out of the break with some fire, going on a 3-0 run to open the second-half scoring. The Raiders answered with a 6-0 run that tied the game at 33.
A pair of free throws by
Madison Schiller grabbed the lead back for Colgate. Niagara would not back down, scoring a jumper to the game tied back up at 35. Golembiewski scored in the paint to get Colgate's lead back, but Niagara caught a spark going on a 5-0 run to lead 40-37.
Back-to-back Raider jumpers recaptured the lead back by one point with less than 45 seconds remaining in the third. A Niagara free throw ended the third quarter to have the game tied at 41.
Golembiewski opened the fourth quarter with a 4-0 run to get the lead back for the Raiders. Niagara did not go down quietly, going on their own 4-0 run to tie the game back up.
A 4-1 run from Diehl and McMahon had the Raiders leading 49-46. McMahon continued to score, adding two points from the foul line. A Niagara layup had the Purple Eagles trailing by only three points. Luckily for Colgate, Brodie was given a chance at the charity stripe and was able to bump the Raiders' lead up to five points.
A 7-3 run led by Niagara had Colgate leading by only one point at 56-55. McMahon went on a 4-0 run to keep the Raider offense and lead alive. Both teams took a trip to the charity stripe, with Colgate still having the leading at 62-57.
Niagara made a push going on a 4-0 run to trail by only one point. A foul on the Purple Eagles had Golembiewski shooting for two and scoring one to have the Raiders lead 63-61. Niagara retaliated with a layup to have the game tied up for the seventh time in the game to end regulation.
Golembiewski opened overtime with a jump shot to get Colgate the lead back. Brodie added to the lead with a free throw to have Colgate leading 66-63. Niagara went on a 4-0 run to lead by two points. A three-point field goal from Brodie had the Raiders leading by only one point.
Sophomore stud Golembiewski scored two at the foul line to have Colgate leading 71-68. A three-point play from Brodie extended Colgate's lead to 74-68. The Raiders secured the overtime win with a 4-0 run courtesy of Golembiewski and Schiller. Golebiewski and Brodie accounted for 13-of-15 Raider points scored in overtime.
NOTES
- Tiasia McMillan made her season debut, capturing three rebounds for Colgate.
- Golembiewski continues her double-digit streak, scoring 21-points tonight.
- A total of 45 trips were taken to the charity stripe tonight, with 36 of 146 points scored coming from fouls.
- Paul led the Raiders in rebounds for the second time in this fresh season after capturing seven.
FROM THE SOURCE
Head Women's Basketball Coach Ganiyat Adeduntan
"It's important to us to get these overtime wins early in the season. The thing I loved the most about us tonight was our toughness and resiliency to get the win.
"Our captains stepped up tonight. Taylor has come a long way since her freshman year. She's putting the team on her shoulders and hyping her teammates up. Alexa is the heart and soul of our team, so it was important to have her back tonight. She defends, communicates, and is an overall great teammate. She made huge plays to help us secure the win tonight.
"We're looking to get better every single time we hit the court. We're going to step into practice tomorrow and talk about the things we need to clean up, so we can be in a better spot on the road at UAlbany on Saturday. It's all about growth before we get into Patriot League Play."
UP NEXT
Colgate (2-1, 0-0) hits the road to New York's capital on Saturday, Nov. 19. The Raiders take on the UAlbany Great Danes at 3 p.m. inside the Events and Athletics Center at Saint Rose.
