TUCSON, Ariz. — The Colgate Raiders found themselves down by just five points at halftime against No. 2 Arizona, but a 26-7 second-half run from the home side helped the Wildcats hand the Raiders their fourth loss of the season.
COACH LANGEL COMMENTS
"Arizona keeps coming at you and they're so physical. Their attention to detail on the defensive end is what stands out to me. They make you work for every shot. We were in danger of it getting out of hand in the first half but we made some tough shots to keep it close."
"We have a lot of experience in our locker room and a lot of new faces, too. This is a good opportunity for these guys and hopefully, we'll learn how hard you have to work to win. There are a lot of really good teams left on our schedule that we have to play well against."
"If we play well enough and are able to represent the Patriot League in the NCAA Tournament we're going to play a team built like this, and we don't have many chances to play this level of competition so it's a great opportunity for us."
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Raiders won the final four minutes of the first half thanks to point guard Braeden Smith nailing a trio of threes that were coupled with two Jeff Woodward layups. Six of Woodward's season-high eight points came in the opening frame and kept the Raiders within striking distance heading into the break.
The Wildcats responded, however, coming out of halftime with nine of the first 10 baskets divided down the middle with a driving layup from Smith. The Raiders pulled back to within single digits after Brady Cummins and Jalen Cox combined to score on three-straight possessions, but Arizona responded with eight consecutive points that ballooned the lead to 26 with nine minutes remaining.
Cox earned an extended run in Tucson after Smith was forced to the bench with three fouls early in the second frame. The first-year held his own against the Arizona backcourt, logging a new personal-best eight points in a career-high 20 minutes of work.
Despite the score, Colgate continued to battle down the stretch led by fifth-year forward Keegan Records, who scored five of his seven points in the final five minutes of play.
UP NEXT
Colgate (4-4) returns home to take on Vermont State-Lyndon at 7 p.m. on Cotterell Court.
