HAMILTON – All five Colgate starters scored in double figures and the Raiders celebrated Senior Day with a 96-73 victory over Holy Cross Saturday afternoon at Cotterell Court.
Tucker Richardson scored 19 points to lead the scoring contingent.
Keegan Records had 16 points on 7-of-8 from the field, and
Braeden Smith,
Oliver Lynch-Daniels, and
Ryan Moffatt each finished with 12.
Jeff Woodward nearly had a double-double with nine assists and 10 rebounds to go with six points.
Colgate led by as many as 16 points in the first half but it was a two-point game 49-47 after a Holy Cross layup by Gerrale Gates with 17:02 left in the game. The two sides traded baskets over the next few possessions before the Raiders made another championship run.
With Colgate leading 58-53, the Raiders made eight of their next nine shots from the field and embarked on an 18-4 journey that sparked the season's largest crowd. Richardson had seven points during the streak and a two-possession game turned into a 19-point cushion 76-57 in less than four minutes.
Reserves played a key role down the stretch, helping Colgate stretch its lead to as many as 25 points (94-69) in the waning minutes.
Sam Thomson scored eight points and
Chandler Baker had six to lead the Raiders off the bench.
Alex Capitano put a bow on the 96-73 victory with his first points of the game.
Colgate blistered the nets knocking down 59 percent from the field with season highs in assists (30) and made field goals (41). The Raiders' 30 assists tied last year's output against Bucknell (March 3, 2022) for the most in a single game in program history.
Colgate was red-hot from the get-go and Records ignited the light. The senior big man had 10 points and was 4-of-4 from the floor including a massive two-handed slam in the midst of an early 10-0 charge that gave the Raiders a 25-9 lead.
Holy Cross put together a 12-4 run over 4:10 of game time and closed within 46-40 at halftime. The Crusaders used a 7-0 spurt early in the second half to close within 49-47 before the Raiders pulled away to improve to 15-1 in Patriot League play.
FROM THE SOURCE
Head Coach Matt Langel
"We played really well today. We got a little sloppy after we grabbed a significant lead in the first half. Overall, this was a great offensive performance. We found open shooters. We found guys for layups. For
Jeff Woodward to have nine assists, six points, and 10 rebounds – that's off the charts for a guy off the bench. A lot of great production from the group tonight.
"These seniors are a determined group and they have a lot of pride in the program. Obviously this is an accomplished group – the wins and all that – but they are terrific young people which speaks to the families that they come from and who they represent."
NOTES
- Colgate's six seniors were recognized before Saturday's game. This year's senior group is 69-13 against conference opponents with four Patriot League regular season championships, four 20-win seasons, three conference titles, and three NCAA tournament appearances.
- Colgate caps off its second consecutive perfect conference regular season at home (9-0). The Raiders have won 22 straight regular season conference games at Cotterell Court dating back to the 2020-21 season.
- Oliver Lynch-Daniels reached the 1,000-point milestone in Saturday's win, with more than half of those coming in a Raider uniform.
- Keegan Records needs five points to become the 40th member of the 1,000-point club, and he will join Richardson as an active club member on the 2022-23 squad.
- With 15 conference victories, Colgate is one win away from tying last year's 16 wins for the most in program history.
UP NEXT
Colgate (21-8, 15-1 Patriot) is on the road for the final week of the regular season. The Raiders visit Lafayette Wednesday at 7 p.m. before closing out next Saturday, Feb. 25, at Navy for a 4 p.m. matchup on CBS Sports Network.
POSTSEASON TICKET INFORMATION
Stay tuned to ColgateAthletics.com for postseason ticket information. The Patriot League men's basketball tournament runs through Cotterell Court, starting with the quarterfinals Thursday, March 2. Game time and opponent are both to be determined at a later date.
