HAMILTON – One of those nights you kept waiting and waiting, and then Colgate finally staged its late run to knock off Boston University 77-71 Wednesday night at Cotterell Court.
With the win, the Raiders moved to 5-0 in the Patriot League for the first time since 1996-1997. Colgate has won 20 consecutive games over conference opponents dating back to last season.
Colgate's previous Patriot League loss came on Jan. 28, 2022, at Boston U, and the testy Terriers led this one for a good portion. But the Raiders, who trailed at halftime for the second time in three games, found a late stride to climb over the top.
Colgate trailed by as many as seven in the second half after Fletcher Tynen's 3-pointer made it 48-41 with 12:34 left in regulation. The game tilted in Colgate's favor on the strength of a 16-5 run that turned a five-point deficit into a 54-50 lead. Jeff Woodward scored nine points during the run, including layups on both ends of the streak, to put the Raiders in front for good.
The Raiders didn't have their best night from the perimeter (8-25) but they got back-to-back triples from Tucker Richardson and Ryan Moffatt to grab their largest lead of the night (61-52) with 5:59 showing. Defensive stops and presence in the paint made the difference down the stretch to help Colgate fend off Boston U for its fifth consecutive victory.
For the third straight game, Colgate had five players in double figures. Richardson led the way with 15 points to go with six rebounds, six assists, and four steals. Woodward set a season-high with 14 points, Moffatt 12, and Oliver Lynch-Daniels and Keegan Records 11.
Colgate got off to a tough start, making four of its first 16 attempts from the field and starting 1-for-11 from behind the arc. Boston U capitalized with a 9-0 spurt to build a 17-12 lead midway through the first half. A tip-in layup by Woodward snapped the visitor's run.
A steal by Moffatt turned into a transition 3-pointer for Lynch-Daniels, who capped a 7-2 run to draw the game even at 19-19. A dunk by Woodward pushed Colgate's lead to 29-25, but the Terriers scored the final seven points of the frame to retake the lead 32-29 at the intermission.
Boston U stretched its lead to 48-41 seven minutes into the second half before the Raiders made their comeback.
Colgate shot 41.3 percent from the field and 32 percent from behind the arc. Boston U finished at 44.1 percent overall and 31.8 percent from the perimeter. The Terriers were led by Jonas Harper, who scored a game-high 23 points.
FROM THE SOURCE
Head Coach Matt Langel
"We're coming off a very hard-fought game at Army West Point on Monday. To gut this one out when we didn't shoot the ball from the perimeter like we're capable of, I'm really proud of the team for their efforts tonight. Jeff Woodward really stepped it up in the second half.
"What we've been able to do over the last five years, we are the hunted and that's hard. There is a certain responsibility that comes with having that opportunity, so I was proud of this group for not letting down and finding a way to win this game. These games all matter when you're trying to position yourself where you want to be in late February."
NOTES
- Colgate needs one more win to match the best conference start in program history. The 1996-97 Raiders were 6-0 before dropping their first league game to Navy.
- The Raiders have won the last three games despite being down or tied at halftime in all three. Prior to the streak, they were 0-5 in such scenarios this season.
- With four steals, Tucker Richardson now needs nine more to pass Pat Campolieta '02 for the most steals in program history.
- Jeff Woodward's season-high 14 points were one shy of his career-high, which he set at Boston University during his freshman year in 2021.
UP NEXT
Colgate (11-7, 5-0 Patriot) stays home this weekend to host Bucknell at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
