EASTON, Pa. – Colgate snatched the lead in the second half and held on to beat Lafayette 73-69 Wednesday night inside Kirby Sports Center.
The sixth and final lead change occurred when Keegan Records' spinning left-handed layup off the glass put Colgate in front 54-53 with 11:36 to go. Chandler Baker's third 3-pointer of the night capped a 6-0 burst and extended the lead to 57-53 less than a minute later.
But Lafayette kept scrapping. Justin Vander Baan led the Leopards with 23 points and his jumper with 5:40 left cut the margin to 66-65. The Leopards trimmed the margin to one possession three separate times over the final six minutes but Colgate had an answer every time.
Braeden Smith sank two clutch free throws with 31 seconds left to extend Colgate's lead to four points and that was the winning margin, 73-69.
Tucker Richardson scored 17 points and tied his career high with nine assists to go with two steals. Oliver Lynch-Daniels scored 14 points – all in the first half – and Jeff Woodward chipped in 12 to give the Raiders three double-figure scorers.
Lynch-Daniels carried Colgate in the first half, scoring 14 points and burying four 3-pointers, including his second triple of the stanza which gave the Raiders their largest lead of the game 21-13.
Colgate's lead was still eight points 36-28 when Lafayette closed the final 5:51 on a 12-4 surge to tie the game 38-38 at halftime.
The lead changed hands three more times before Colgate reclaimed it for good on Records' layup midway through the second half.
FROM THE SOURCE
Head Coach Matt Langel
"This was a hard-fought game. I didn't do a great job, especially in the first half, coaching our defense. Give Lafayette a lot of credit. They made some hard shots and kept battling, but again, our guys found a way. We made enough stops to stem the tide.
"We played Navy a long time ago. They're obviously playing well. Their defense has really picked up and they are playing like the physical bunch that we've come to know. This is a big game for both teams, plus it's another chance to go out there and get better. That's what our guys love to do and we're very much looking forward to the challenge."
NOTES
- Colgate has 10 road wins this season, the most in program history, and tied with Hofstra for the second-most in the country. The College of Charleston is the national leader with 11 road wins.
- Colgate has tied the Patriot League record with 16 conference wins (16-1) and becomes the first conference team to ever do it twice. The Raiders (2021-22) and Bucknell (2017-18) are the only other teams to reach 16 single-season league wins.
- Keegan Records became the 40th member of the 1,000-point club, and he becomes the third player on the team to hit the 1,000-point milestone (Richardson, Lynch-Daniels).
UP NEXT
Colgate (22-8, 16-1 Patriot) heads to Annapolis, Md., to face a red-hot second-place Navy team (18-11, 11-6 Patriot) riding a seven-game winning streak. Tip-off on the regular season finale is set for 4 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.
POSTSEASON TICKET INFORMATION
Playoff tickets are on sale for the quarterfinal round next Thursday, March 2, when the top-seeded Raiders open their postseason title defense at 7 p.m. at Cotterell Court. Colgate will face the winner of the 8-9 first-round matchup, which will be played next Tuesday, Feb. 28.
Quarterfinal tickets are priced at $14 for adults and $7 for senior citizens and children. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last, and can be purchased by visiting colgate.universitytickets.com. Fans can call 315-228-4062 or visit the Reid Athletic Center Ticket Office between 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
