ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Trailing by as many as 15 points in the first half, Colgate shot over 60 percent in the second half and scored a season-high 49 points over the final 20 minutes to come back and beat Navy 80-72 on Saturday afternoon inside Alumni Hall.
Colgate in the second half shot 64 percent from the field (16-for-25) and connected on 8-of-14 (57%) from behind the arc. Braeden Smith tallied 20 of his game-high 25 in the final frame, leading Ryan Moffatt's 21-point performance on a 4-for-4 showing from downtown.
COACH LANGEL'S COMMENTS
"Fortunately we got off to a decent start and got an early lead so when things started to go sideways we weren't too far down in the first half. We did a nice job finding the identity of the game late in the first half. We executed our defensive adjustments pretty well in the second half and took advantage of some opportunities to attack. Our defensive stops led to some baskets in transition. Great start to the half and never looked back.
"To Navy's credit they shot very well. I'm happy with the result. This is a tough place to play against a program that presents challenges with their toughness and physicality. It's hard to win on the road in conference play. We've got a couple days here to get ready for the next one."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Colgate trimmed a 15-point first-half deficit down to 38-31 at halftime, and then opened the second half on an 8-2 run to take a 41-40 lead less than three minutes into the frame. The game was tied at 44-44 when the three-point barrage from Moffatt and Smith ignited an 11-2 burst that gave Colgate the lead for good and stretched the margin to 55-46.
Colgate's lead reached double-digits when Parker Jones' three-point play and Smith's triple made it 71-61 with 3:33 remaining. Smith added an and-one after an acrobatic offensive putback gave the Raiders their largest lead 74-63 with 2:26 remaining.
The Midshipmen closed the gap to 78-72 with Lysander Rehnstrom's 3-pointer with 27 seconds left, but Moffatt sealed the eight-point victory from the free throw line.
Smith finished with 25 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and two steals. He shot 9-of-16 from the field including 4-of-9 from behind the arc. Moffatt was perfect from downtown, finishing 7-of-9 overall from the field to reach his 21 points.
Smith and Moffatt were Colgate's only double-figure scorers, accounting for 33 of the Raiders' 49 second-half points. Brady Cummins, Jones, and Keegan Records tallied eight points apiece. Records added nine boards, three assists, and two blocked shots.
Colgate built an early 10-4 lead, but Navy countered and established leads of 17-12 and then 30-15 after a pair of significant runs. Cummins connected on a 3-pointer in a 7-0 responding streak by the Raiders, who cut the margin to seven (38-31) at the intermission.
The Raiders shot 53 percent overall (27-51) and 52 percent from behind the arc (13-25). Navy came into the game sharing the nation's lead in three-point defense (25.2%). The Midshipmen shot 47 percent overall (29-62) and 40 percent (10-25) from three-point range.
GAME NOTES
- Smith's 25 points matched his career high, which he set earlier this year against Gardner-Webb (11/18/23).
- Moffatt's 21 points were his most in a game since pouring in the same amount last season against Duquesne (11/18/22).
- This was the first time since Feb. 25, 2023 ( vs Army), that Colgate finished with two 20-point scorers.
- The win for Colgate was its first road victory since Dec. 9 at Vermont, and snapped Navy's five-game home winning streak.
- Colgate's 80 points were its most in a Division I game since its 84-49 win over Binghamton (11/29/23). It was also the most points allowed by Navy this season.
- The Raiders improved to 2-0 in Patriot League play for the second straight season.
UP NEXT
Colgate (8-7, 2-0 PL) returns to Cotterell Court on Wednesday for a Patriot League championship rematch against Lafayette. Tip-off from Hamilton is set for 7 p.m.
