EASTON, Pa. – Talk about a game as good as advertised between the top two teams in the Patriot League standings.
First-place Colgate scored the final eight points of the game over the last 1:23 to turn a 62-59 deficit into a 67-62 victory over second-place Lafayette in front of a raucous crowd and a national audience Monday night inside the Kirby Sports Center.
The Raiders clinched their fifth consecutive Patriot League regular season championship, secured their third consecutive 20-win season, extended their winning streak to 12 games, avenged their only league loss to date, and remained unbeaten on the road during Patriot League play at 7-0.
Keegan Records put together a Player of the Year performance, impacting the game on both ends with 21 points on 7-of-11 from the field and 7-of-9 from the free throw line. He added five boards and one steal. Ryan Moffatt finished with 11 points and five rebounds.
Kyle Jenkins banked home a left-handed layup to put the home team up 62-59 with 2:13 to go. The Leopards had a chance to add on but Jenkins misfired on a three-point attempt – and that was the first of four straight misses forced by Colgate's defense.
Moffatt sank two free throws to trim the deficit to 62-61. Sam Thomson forced an off-target layup on Lafayette's next possession and Records was fouled on the rebound with the Leopards in the bonus. Records made both free throws to put the Raiders in front 63-62 with 59 seconds left.
Still a one-point game, Braeden Smith stole a loose ball under the basket and then drained a contested step-back jumper inside the elbow to stretch the lead to 65-62 with 15 seconds left. Thomson made another defensive stand and sealed the deal with two more free throws.
COACH LANGEL'S COMMENTS
"Our guys fought really hard. Obviously we didn't finish the half well. They hit shots and are very disciplined. It's not surprising knowing how they've been coached for the last two years but they present some difficulties in attacking them because of their discipline on the defensive end.
"Our veteran guys were just dominant. Keegan played like a Player of the Year. Ryan stepped up and made some big shots. Sam Thomson off the bench, a four-year guy who's been a champion, to step up like he did was very fitting in my mind that we can win a championship directly because of his play.
"The team that wins the Patriot League championship and gets to represent the conference in the NCAA tournament is the team that's playing the best in March. To win a regular season championship is an incredible accomplishment but we need to start getting ready to play our best. The only way I know how to play our best in the tournament is to finish the regular season well. We've got more work to do to be the best version of Colgate Basketball."
HOW IT HAPPENED
There were 12 lead changes and 10 tie scores throughout the defensive battle. Colgate led by as many as nine points on two occasions in the first half, 25-16 and 34-25. Lafayette scored the final eight points of the opening stanza to close the Colgate lead to one point, 34-33, at the intermission.
Jalen Cox connected on a jumper in the lane to give Colgate a five-point lead, 41-36, four minutes into the second half. A 3-pointer from Jenkins capped a 9-2 response for Lafayette, which established a 45-43 lead with 13:00 remaining. Both teams traded shots and the lead deep into the second half.
Colgate held leads of 52-50 and then 56-54 with the latter coming off back-to-back layups from Records with 4:39 to go. Lafayette jumped in front with four straight points from Devin Hines, and then Jenkin's left-handed layup extended Lafayette's lead to 62-59 with 2:13 to go.
Moffatt's two free throws sparked Colgate's final 8-0 surge to take the lead and hold on for good.
The Raiders shot 50 percent for the game (22-44) and were just 2-of-9 (22%) from behind the arc. Lafayette shot 36.5 percent from the field (19-52) and 8-of-22 from the perimeter (36.4%).
The Leopards posted eight offensive rebounds and outscored Colgate in second-chance points 13-2 but the Raiders were 21-of-26 from the free throw line (80.8%) to Lafayette's 16-of-23 clip (69.6).
GAME NOTES
- Colgate with the win has clinched its fifth consecutive regular season championship and eighth overall.
- The Raiders have five 20-win seasons in program history. All five have occurred since 2018-19.
- Colgate is now 27-1 in February over the last three seasons, the best record nationally during that time span.
- The Raiders' seven straight road wins is the third longest streak in the nation, one behind Niagara and St. Mary's who have both won eight straight away from home.
- Colgate's 12-game win streak is the third longest nationally. No. 1 UConn has won 14 in a row.
- Colgate improved to 7-3 in games decided by nine points or fewer.
UP NEXT
Colgate (20-8, 14-1 PL) will celebrate its five seniors in a pregame ceremony before hosting third-place American (14-13, 8-6 PL) on Sunday, Feb. 25, at 2 p.m. The game will be televised nationally on CBS Sports Network.
