WEST POINT, N.Y. – Braeden Smith found
Keegan Records for the go-ahead layup with five seconds left in regulation and Colgate held on to beat Army 77-75 Monday night in a back-and-forth battle at Christl Arena.
Trailing by six with four minutes left and the Raiders did not skip a beat. Oliver Lynch-Daniels scored four quick points and caused a turnover in an 8-2 run that tied the game 73-73 with just over a minute left in regulation.
Both teams traded a basket and it was tied again 75-75 when Army's Charlie Peterson missed both free throws to give the Raiders possession with 19 seconds left. Head Coach Matt Langel drew up the play and Colgate ran it to perfection. Smith found Records driving to the basket and the senior center went up with his left hand for the go-ahead layup with five seconds on the clock.
Coleton Benson's 3-pointer at the buzzer didn't go and Colgate held on for the two-point victory.
Records was the fitting last-second hero after leading five Raiders in double figures with 17 points. The Patriot League's leader in field goal percentage was 8-for-10 on the night. He finished with five rebounds and a season-high three blocked shots. Lynch-Daniels had 14 points, Smith 13, Ryan Moffatt 12, and Tucker Richardson 11.
The game had eight ties and 15 lead changes, with neither team leading by more than eight points. Colgate connected on 55.2 percent from the field and just 27.3 percent from the perimeter.
Army shot 48 percent overall and 45 percent from the perimeter. The Black Knights were led by reigning Patriot League Player of the Week Jalen Rucker and his 22 points.
The first half was fast and furious with both teams shooting well over 50 percent and the game was tied at the first two media timeouts. Colgate built a 42-34 lead with 2:03 on the clock but Army's Rucker capped a solo 8-0 run with a 3-pointer at the buzzer to tie the game 42-42.
Colgate opened the second half with a 13-5 run after two free throws from Smith, who also had a 3-pointer in the surge to give the Raiders a 55-48 edge. The two teams went back and forth over the next stretch before a 10-2 run gave the Black Knights a 68-63 lead with 6:22 to go.
Army maintained its lead down to the final minute of regulation when Colgate made its late surge. Records' layup secured the comeback and the victory, 77-75.
FROM THE SOURCE
Head Coach Matt Langel
"Keegan got a good chance at the basket and finished well like he had throughout the course of the game. This one was not for the faint of heart. Really physical game. Army shot the ball well and got it into the paint. We didn't shoot the ball as well as we would've liked but we found a way. That speaks to the experience of the group. I am proud of them for sure.
"We'll have to recover quickly after tonight's physical game. Boston University is a really talented team, so we'll have our hands full on one day of rest. We have to stay focused and be working for every chance that we get to be the best version of ourselves."
NOTES
- Colgate moves to 4-0 in Patriot League play for just the second time since 1996-97.
- The Raiders have now won 19 consecutive games against conference opponents.
- This is the first time Colgate has won five straight over Army since doing so in 2005-08.
- Tucker Richardson continues to chase milestones and needs 13 steals to pass Pat Campolieta (193) for the most in program history.
UP NEXT
Colgate (10-7, 4-0 Patriot) returns home to host Boston University on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The Raiders stay home this weekend when Bucknell comes to town Saturday for a 2 p.m. tip-off at Cotterell Court. Both games can be streamed live on ESPN+.
