HAMILTON – Colgate closed the game on a 14-2 run to take the lead and then pull away from Lafayette 69-57 for its 10th consecutive victory Saturday afternoon in front of an energetic crowd at Cotterell Court.
The game was tied 55-55 when a layup by
Ryan Moffatt sparked the final surge.
Oliver Lynch-Daniels scored six in the run and
Braeden Smith finished two tough drives while the defense held Lafayette to one basket over the final 5:49 of regulation.
Tucker Richardson posted his second consecutive double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds to go with four assists, one block, and one steal. Moffatt scored 13 points, and Lynch-Daniels and Smith netted 11 apiece.
Jeff Woodward posted a strong presence with eight points, six rebounds, three assists, a block, and a steal.
Colgate shot 44 percent overall, slightly below its season average which ranked second nationally, but the Raiders connected on six of their last seven attempts to extend the nation's longest conference winning streak to 25 games.
Moffatt sparked the Raiders with back-to-back early treys and Colgate led by as many as nine points in the first half after Smith drained a step-back jumper to make it 25-16 with 9:12 left in the half. But Lafayette turned the tides with a 13-2 streak and led 34-33 at the intermission.
There were seven lead changes in the second half and neither team led by more than three points until Colgate's final momentum swing. Lafayette's Leo O'Boyle made his second 3-pointer of the half to tie the game at 55-55 but the Leopards only made one shot the rest of the way.
Colgate limited Lafayette to 23 total points in the second half and outscored the visitors 20-5 over the final 10:12 to pull away for the 69-57 victory.
FROM THE SOURCE
Head Coach Matt Langel
"Playing against people you know is always hard. Playing against family is really rough. It's no surprise that Lafayette played us as tough as anyone here. We've been in some close games during this Patriot League stretch and learned a little bit about ourselves each time. I'm proud of the way our defense dictated down the stretch.
"We wore suits and sneakers this week to help the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) raise awareness for the American Cancer Society. Many people are impacted by cancer everywhere you turn, whether in our own community or elsewhere. The NABC does a great job raising awareness and encouraging people to get screened for cancer when doctors recommend it. Any chance we get to raise awareness for the American Cancer Society, all the better."
NOTES
- Exactly one year since its last Patriot League loss, the Raiders extended the nation's longest conference winning streak to 25 games.
- Colgate improved to 4-5 this season when trailing or tied at halftime.
- The Raiders are 9-0 in January and have a chance to make it a perfect month Monday night when Loyola comes to Hamilton for a matchup on national television.
- Colgate has now secured back-to-back double-digit victories after going five consecutive games with a winning margin of six points or less.
UP NEXT
Colgate (16-7, 10-0 Patriot) stays in Hamilton to host Loyola on Monday night for a 7 p.m. tip-off on CBS Sports Network.
