BALTIMORE – Taylor Golembiewski's double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds lifted the Colgate women's basketball team past UMBC, 57-51, Saturday afternoon at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena.
For the second straight game, the Raiders used a dominant third quarter to create a lead that they would not relinquish.
After the visitors from Hamilton hit the halftime break down by a 25-20 score, they came racing out to begin the second half and tied the score at 33 midway through the third quarter on a Morgan McMahon layup.
After the Retrievers turned the ball over on the ensuing possession, Golembiewski hit a jumper to give Colgate the lead and it would not trail the rest of the way.
"I absolutely loved our toughness," said head coach Ganiyat Adeduntan. "We competed and just kept fighting. I am proud of our resilience. It was a battle for 40 minutes. Winning is not easy, especially on the road. For us to find a way and make big plays both defensively and offensively was critical in stretches and truly was the difference maker. I honestly couldn't be prouder."
UMBC hung tough and trailed by just three after 30 minutes of play, but fireworks early in the final quarter gave Colgate all the cushion it would need. With 7:33 to play in the contest, Golembiewski knocked down a jumper to push the lead to five, then just 14 seconds later, Sophia Diehl fought through contact for a layup and hit the free throw afterwards to claim an eight-point lead.
Diehl converted on another layup a minute later to give the Raiders a 49-39 lead, which was their largest of the afternoon.
The hosts quickly answered with an 8-0 run to cut the Colgate lead to just two with 2:14 to play, but the Raiders held off the late charge punctuated by a perfect 4-for-4 showing from the charity stripe by Alexa Brodie in the closing minute.
Golembiewski and Brodie (10) were the only scorers in double figures on either side, as Colgate's defense silenced the Retrievers and saddled them with their lowest point total of the season. The 51 points also matched UMBC's lowest offensive output since Jan. 28, 2023, which spanned 11 games.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Colgate quickly fell behind to open the game thanks to a 7-0 run by the Retrievers in the opening three minutes. The deficit ended up being the largest of the day for the visitors, who went on a 12-6 run in the following five minutes to narrow the gap.
Just a few days after the Raiders tallied 26 third quarter points against Cornell, they filled up the scoresheet once again with 22 this time around for an eight-point margin.
Golembiewski's 11 rebounds marked a career-high for the junior and her double-double was also a career first.
The victory gives Colgate its first 2-0 record to a season since the 2019-20 campaign when the Raiders soared out to a 5-0 start.
Brodie paced the Raiders with a trio of steals and
Tiasia McMillan led the team with a pair of blocks.
UP NEXT
The Raiders look to stay hot Thursday evening when they return home to face Canisius at Cotterell Court. Tip is set for 6 p.m.
