BALTIMORE – Career-high performances from
Chandler Baker and
Jeff Woodward paced the Colgate men's basketball team to a 76-62 win at Loyola on Saturday evening at Reitz Arena.
Baker's 19 points came on 7-of-8 from the field including 5-for-6 from three-point range. Woodward produced 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting overall to go with five rebounds. The in-and-out duo helped Colgate's bench outscore Loyola's reserves, 36-12.
Braeden Smith collected 12 points and dished eight assists against zero turnovers in 36 minutes of playing time. Keegan Records added eight points along with three blocked shots and two steals.
COACH LANGEL'S COMMENTS
"Our guys prepared well for the situation tonight and gutted this one out. So many good productions. Chandler hasn't missed many shots of late and we've needed them all. Loyola played great. Credit our guys for staying together and staying focused on what was going to help us win. We are all a residue of our experiences and this game is part of our journey now. Hopefully we take this one with us and continue to grow. This was a hard week for us – at Boston on Wednesday and now down here.
"We are where we want to be right now, but the only thing that matters is what's next. That's taking care of your body and getting ready for practice on Monday. We feel good as coaches that we've got a group of guys focused on that, and that's where Colgate Basketball is right now."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Colgate got it going when Baker swished his first of four treys in the opening half. That helped spark an 8-0 burst for the Raiders, who climbed in front, 23-21, on a hook shot by Records with 7:36 to go in the first frame.
Baker did not miss, going 4-for-4 from three-point range in the first half. Colgate led by as many as eight points after another trey from Baker stretched the margin to 34-26 with 4:44 to go. Loyola countered with an 8-0 run and evened the score at 34-34 on a 3-pointer from Alonso Faure with 2:16 left in the half.
Baker broke the 34-34 tie with his fourth trey of the half on Colgate's next possession and that was the margin at halftime, 42-39, after two free throws from Smith in the final seconds of the stanza.
Ryan Moffatt scored five of his eight points in a 7-0 Colgate surge that extended the lead to double digits, 53-43, six minutes into the second half. Loyola came as close as 55-51 but never reached within one possession after Baker countered with another 3-pointer on Colgate's next run down the floor.
Colgate put the game to bed with a 13-2 closing run over the final five minutes of game time, led by four points each from Records and Parker Jones. A scoop-and-score from Baker highlighted the waning stages of the contest and sealed Colgate's ninth consecutive win, 76-62.
GAME NOTES
- Colgate improved to 11-1 in Patriot League play, matching last year's team for the best record through 12 games in program history.
- Chandler Baker is 13-for-15 from the field and 8-for-10 from three-point range over the last two games.
- Colgate's fifth consecutive double-digit victory marked the eight straight game the Raiders have held their opponent to 64 points or fewer.
- Colgate remains unbeaten on the road during Patriot League play, improving to 6-0.
- Colgate's nine-game win streak is tied for the third longest in the country.
UP NEXT
Colgate (17-8, 11-1 PL) is back in Hamilton next Wednesday to host Holy Cross (8-17, 5-7 PL) at 7 p.m. The Raiders cap off a two-game homestand against Bucknell next Saturday, Feb. 17, at 2 p.m. Both games from Cotterell Court next week can be streamed live on ESPN+.
