HAMILTON – Brady Cummins' career-high 16 points paced another balanced scoring effort and Colgate secured its sixth straight win with a 74-55 victory over Army on Wednesday night at Cotterell Court.
Cummins is Colgate's fifth different leading scorer in the last five games. He was 6-of-11 from the field with four made 3-pointers. Braeden Smith added 13 points, a career-high six steals, and five assists. Ryan Moffatt finished with 11 points on 5-of-7 from the field to go with four assists.
Keegan Records, Chandler Baker, and Parker Jones all scored nine points. Colgate shot 50 percent for the game (29-58) and 43 percent from three-point range (12-28). The Raiders assisted on 22 of those made field goals with 25 bench points in the balanced production.
COACH LANGEL'S COMMENTS
"We shot the ball much better tonight. I don't want our identity to be whether we make or miss shots determining how we play. We can be so much better than that. We picked up the defensive intensity after a slow start and that made the difference tonight. We did make shots, but we wreaked havoc on the defensive end, forced turnovers, got out in transition, and found the rhythm of the game from there."
"We need to keep going. Our practices have to continue to be competitive and that takes a certain level of maturity and selflessness among our group. That's when we're at our best. That's where our focus needs to be as we get ready for another game here on Saturday."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Army paced the early stages and established a 16-9 lead midway through the first half. Colgate's defense turned the tides late in the opening stanza – holding the Black Knights scoreless for nearly four minutes. Baker canned two 3-pointers in a 14-0 burst that quickly turned the deficit into a 23-16 lead.
During the 14-0 game-changing surge, Army only took two shots. Colgate forced five turnovers including a pair of steals from Smith. Jones' blocked shot on the perimeter and ensuing transition layup put the Raiders in front 29-18. Late 3-pointers from Cummins and Smith gave Colgate a 35-22 lead at the break.
Colgate's three-point barrage set the tone early in the second half. Smith, Cummins (2), and Jones nailed four in a row during a 12-0 blitz and Colgate's lead ballooned to its largest of the game, 55-31, with 13:20 left in regulation.
After Army cut the margin to 63-48 on a banked 3-pointer from Dylan Blair, Sam Thomson and Records answered with a pair of three-point plays on the offensive end and Army never closed within 18 points the rest of the way.
Colgate shot 62 percent in the second half (16-31) with five made 3-pointers (5-15). Julian Scott, Kyle Carlesimo, Sam Wright, and Cooper Wright all saw minutes late in the game to help Colgate preserve its sixth consecutive win, 74-55.
GAME NOTES
- Colgate has now held its opponent to less than 60 points in five consecutive games.
- Cummins is Colgate's fifth different leading scorer in the last five games.
- Colgate's 12 made 3-pointers were three away from its season-high 15 against VTSU Lyndon.
- Chandler Baker is 8-for-12 from behind the arc over the last two games.
- The Raiders improved to 7-2 at Cotterell Court this season.
UP NEXT
Colgate (14-8, 8-1 PL) completes the regular-season series against Navy on Saturday at Cotterell Court for a nationally-televised game starting at noon on CBS Sports Network. The Raiders erased an early deficit to beat the Midshipmen, 80-72, on Jan. 6. in Annapolis.
