HAMILTON – Oliver Lynch-Daniels (23) and
Braeden Smith (20) combined for 43 points and Colgate knocked down 15 triples to outlast Army 93-86 Wednesday night at Cotterell Court.
Both teams shot well over 50 percent from the field and combined for 26 triples. Lynch-Daniels (7) and Ryan Moffatt (5) connected on 12 of Colgate's 15 treys – the team's most in a game since setting a Dome record with 19 in the win over Syracuse on Nov. 15.
Colgate came into the game ranked second nationally in field goal percentage (50.6) and connected on 55 percent Wednesday night, including 15-of-27 from behind the arc. Army, also backed by a pair of 20-point scorers, shot 57 percent from the field and made 11 3-pointers.
Colgate came out blazing from downtown, setting the tone for a fun 20 minutes. The Raiders knocked down 10 triples in the first half including five from Lynch-Daniels.
Moffatt was the first to get going – he had three treys and nine points in the first five minutes. Then Chandler Baker, Smith, and Lynch-Daniels knocked down three in a row in a 9-2 burst to push the lead to 26-15 with 9:34 showing.
Lynch-Daniels scored 15 points on 5-of-7 from behind the arc in the first half alone and Colgate kept its double-digit lead down the stretch. The Raiders led by as many as 13 and that was the margin at the half after Smith's two free throws made it 49-36 at intermission.
Lynch-Daniels stayed hot in the second half, swishing back-to-back treys in an 8-0 run to extend the lead to 61-43. Sam Thomson scored six of his eight total points in a three-minute window, giving Colgate its largest lead of the game 81-61 with 8:52 to go.
Colgate lost its mojo for a bit and burned a timeout after Army capitalized with a 10-0 spurt. Moffatt ended the drought with another 3-pointer but the Black Knights kept chipping away and a three-point play by Charlie Petersen cut the margin to 87-78 with 2:41 left in regulation.
Coleton Benson scored 19 of his 22 points in the second half for the Black Knights, who closed within 90-86 on a 3-pointer from Jalen Rucker with 33 seconds left. But the Raiders managed the press and made just enough free throws to hold on for the 93-86 triumph.
FROM THE SOURCE
Head Coach Matt Langel
"Army is a hard team to face because we both play at a fast pace. Our games always seem to be high-scoring affairs and even when you get up by 20 points, no lead is safe. We missed too many free throws down the stretch but we did just enough to close it out. I'm proud of the group.
"They played us differently this time, protecting the paint. We haven't attempted 27 3-pointers in a long time so to step up and make 15 in this game was a good sign of us being able to do what we talk about and that's to take what the defense gives us. Good win for the group."
NOTES
- With the win, Colgate clinched the Patriot League regular season championship outright and secures the program's fourth 20-win season in the last five years.
- The Raiders improved to 8-0 at home during conference play and 10-2 overall at Cotterell Court this season.
- Tucker Richardson was recognized before the game with two commemorative balls for breaking the program's all-time assist and steal records.
UP NEXT
Colgate (20-8, 14-1 Patriot) hosts Holy Cross at 2 p.m. on Saturday for its final home game of the regular season. The Raiders will honor their six seniors prior to tip-off.
