WORCESTER, Mass. – Colgate improved to 7-0 in the Patriot League for the first time in program history with Wednesday's 77-71 win over Holy Cross inside the Hart Center.
The Raiders have won seven in a row, 22 straight over conference opponents, and 14 in a row over Holy Cross after Wednesday's triumph. Keegan Records paced four Colgate players in double-figures with 18 points to go with seven rebounds, two blocked shots, and two assists.
On a night when Oliver Lynch-Daniels (5) and Tucker Richardson (4) combined for nine points, Colgate got 30 combined from big men Records (18) and Jeff Woodward (12). Braeden Smith filled in with 17 and Ryan Moffatt chipped in with 14 to give the Raiders four double-figure scorers.
It was a one-point game 63-62 with 7:27 to play after Holy Cross ripped off seven straight points. Lynch-Daniels countered with a pivotal 3-pointer, his only trey of the night, and the margin was never one possession again. Smith scored the last seven points for the Raiders, including six in a row from the free throw line, to seal the victory.
The Raiders shot just 29 percent from behind the arc and 62 percent from the line, but they outscored the Crusaders 42-22 in the paint, had five blocked shots, and turned nine offensive rebounds into 13 second-chance points to come away with another gritty win.
Colgate led for most of the night but Holy Cross hung around. Moffatt's first trey ignited an early 9-2 run, capped off by a reverse dunk by Woodward, to give the Raiders a 17-9 edge seven minutes into the contest.
Holy Cross countered with a 6-0 spurt and eventually tied the game 23-23 with 7:27 left in the stanza after two 3-pointers from Bo Montgomery. Colgate took the lead for good with 0.6 seconds left in the half when two free throws from Smith gave the Raiders a 37-36 edge at the break.
Colgate opened the second half with a 5-0 spurt, thanks to a 3-pointer from Richardson in transition. Moffatt added another trey to counter two triples from the Crusaders before an inside drive by Woodward stretched Colgate's lead to 58-51 with 12:00 to go.
Holy Cross cut it to 63-62 with a 7-0 spurt before Lynch-Daniels' countering 3-pointer put the game out of reach. Smith iced the game from the free throw line down the stretch to cap off Colgate's fifth consecutive road victory, 77-71.
FROM THE SOURCE
Head Coach Matt Langel
"Conference games are really hard to win and every game is important. That's what makes college basketball so special. Finding ways to win when you don't shoot your best helps put you on a path toward reaching your goals and that's really important. We've proven over time that there are a lot of different layers to our team. We have depth and individual talent, but there's also a recognition of doing what it takes to win the game we're in.
"American has played really well in stretches and they're a well-coached team. They have a number of guys who can put up high-scoring performances. I'm sure we'll get their best shot on Saturday afternoon, so we'll have to get prepared and be really focused on ourselves to find our rhythm and play the best that we can play."
NOTES
- Colgate has won five consecutive games on the road and improved to 7-3 away from home this season.
- The Raiders have won 14 consecutive games over Holy Cross dating back to 2017.
UP NEXT
Colgate (13-7, 7-0 Patriot) returns home to host American on Saturday at 2 p.m.
