NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – Colgate fell behind early and never recovered in an 85-65 loss to Iona on Thursday night inside the Hynes Athletics Center.
COACH LANGEL COMMENTS
"Credit Iona. They were the tougher team. They were more connected and they played harder. It's my responsibility to get this team ready to play. Being back in the NYC area, we had alumni and former players spanning 5-6 decades here tonight, so it's disappointing for so many people who are proud of what has been done to see us put on a performance like that.
"We didn't manage the press well. We played timid and afraid on both ends. Again it's my responsibility to have us ready, confident, and determined for the opportunity. We gave up on a great opportunity tonight. Very disappointing.
"Overall, this can be a great experience for us. Our guys will now get to spend time with their families, which is important. We'll come back to get ready for a team that has played outstanding. My hope is that we'll come back from this break ready to work and put on a performance that will be more worthy of the pride our former players have shown."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Colgate got off to a sluggish start and Iona built an early 7-0 lead. From that point on, the Raiders wouldn't get closer than 12-8 after Braeden Smith's 3-pointer at the 15:13 mark.
Iona's full-court press prevented the Raiders from finding any offensive rhythm. Pair that with a hot-shooting night, and the Gaels had everything working in their favor. The home team shot 63 percent from the field, including 7-for-10 from behind the arc, to lead 48-24 at halftime.
Colgate couldn't flip the momentum in the second half. Ryan Moffatt's 3-pointer capped a 9-2 spurt that brought the score to 65-40 with 13:20 remaining. He had six points in the run, along with two from Brady Cummins and one from Keegan Records.
Iona sustained its full-court press down the stretch, which led to a handful of uncontested baskets for the Raiders, but nowhere near enough in the 20-point defeat. Smith paced Colgate with 14 points, followed by Sam Thomson with 10 and Moffatt with nine.
Colgate shot 45.1 percent overall (23-51), 35 percent from behind the arc (7-20), and 54.5 percent from the free throw line (12-22). Iona finished 54.4 percent from the field (31-57), 47.8 percent from behind the arc (11-23), and 80 percent (12-15) from the line.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Colgate and Iona, two of New York State's most successful mid-major programs in recent years, have combined for three conference championships, a 112-50 (.693) overall record, and a 68-10 (.871) conference mark since the start of the 2021-22 season.
- Both teams are coming off NCAA tournament appearances. Iona secured a No. 13 seed in last year's postseason, while the Raiders were a No. 15 seed.
UP NEXT
Colgate (6-6) takes a short holiday break before closing non-league play Saturday, Dec. 30, at Cornell. Tip-off from Ithaca is set for 4 p.m. on ESPN+.
