BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Keegan Records and
Nicolas Louis-Jacques went 4-for-4 from the free throw line in the final 15 seconds of regulation to help Colgate seal the regular season with a 63-60 victory over Lehigh on Saturday afternoon inside Stabler Arena.
With the win, Colgate completed the regular season with a perfect 9-0 record on the road during Patriot League play – extending its road winning streak to nine games which is tied with No. 17 St. Mary's for the longest active streak in the country.
Colgate won't play another road game, at least not for some time, and now turns its attention to the Patriot League tournament where the top-seeded Raiders will host a quarterfinal game next Thursday, March 7, at 7 p.m. at Cotterell Court.
COACH LANGEL'S COMMENTS
"For us to go 9-0 on the road in Patriot League play is something we have never accomplished. I'm proud of our group for sure. There were some things I'd rather not see, shooting 20 percent from three and 17 turnovers. To still win despite those situations is significant. We worked hard to get an early lead and came through with the free throws late. Lehigh played extremely hard and really well. They've got a group of talented guys and they're starting to find their identity. Really good win for us heading into the postseason.
"We're looking forward to the Patriot League tournament. Hopefully we have a great crowd to create a championship environment Thursday night. These guys work year-round to have a chance to play at home in the postseason. Let's have a great environment to set the tone on Thursday for what Patriot League tournament basketball looks like coming through Hamilton."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Colgate nearly led from start to finish but it wasn't easy down the stretch. Lehigh used runs of 9-2 and 5-0 over the final nine minutes to close within one point 59-58 on a Cam Gillus layup with 28 seconds left in regulation. That bookended five unanswered for the Mountain Hawks, who had the home crowd behind them with the final seconds winding down.
Records sank two free throws – both of which bounced off the front of the rim and then off the backboard and in – to make it 61-58 Colgate. Tyler Whitney-Sidney ran the floor and drove in for a layup – two of his game-high 24 points – to cut the margin to 61-60 with six seconds remaining.
Louis-Jacques handled the inbound, took the foul, and calmly connected on his two free throw attempts to extend the margin to 63-60 with four seconds remaining. Lehigh's Nasir Whitlock lauched a half-court shot as time expired but it was off-target and the Raiders held on for their second three-point win over Lehigh.
Records led Colgate with 12 points and 11 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. He and Jeff Woodward combined for 22 points and 18 rebounds – including six offensive boards which turned into an 8-3 advantage over Lehigh in second-chance points. Braeden Smith and Woodward were in double figures with 11 and 10, respectively.
Colgate took charge of the game with a 15-0 first-half blitz forcing two separate Lehigh timeouts. Steals from Woodward, Ryan Moffatt, and Chandler Baker set the tone defensively in keeping Lehigh off the board for more than four minutes. Smith's floater capped the burst and gave Colgate a 26-12 lead. Six different Raiders scored in the run led by four from Baker.
Whitney-Sidney scored 12 of Lehigh's first 16 points and he kept the home team in it for most of the first stanza. He scored all six in a late Lehigh run to bring the Mountain Hawks within 10, which was the halftime margin 35-25 in favor of the Raiders.
Lehigh's Dominic Parolin scored five unanswered points, including a second-chance trey, to trim Colgate's lead to 42-36 with 13:46 to go. With momentum starting to tilt in Lehigh's favor, Smith knocked down a tough jumper in the lane and then found Louis-Jacques for an open triple to tip the scales once more and rebuild a double-digit lead 49-38 with 11:46 left.
Colgate opened its lead to 11 points on four separate occasions but Lehigh didn't go away. The Mountain Hawks eventually used a 5-0 spurt sparked by a three-point play from Keith Higgins Jr. to close within 59-58, but Colgate made its free throws late to seal the 63-60 victory.
GAME NOTES
- Colgate is the first team in Patriot League history to go 9-0 on the road since the format extended to 18 games in 2013-14.
- The Raiders finished 16-2, their third straight year with at least 16 Patriot League wins.
- Keegan Records has now led the team in scoring in five of the last six games.
- Jalen Cox has matched his career-high nine points in three of the last four games.
UP NEXT
Colgate (22-9, 16-2 PL) moves on to the Patriot League tournament, where the top-seeded Raiders will host a quarterfinal game next Thursday, March 7, at Cotterell Court. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN+. Colgate's opponent will be determined after the first-round games on Tuesday.
POSTSEASON TICKET INFORMATION
- Playoff tickets are on sale for the quarterfinal round next Thursday, March 7, when the top-seeded Raiders open their title defense at 7 p.m. at Cotterell Court.
- Quarterfinal tickets are priced at $14 for adults and $7 for senior citizens and children. Tickets can be purchased by visiting colgate.universitytickets.com.
- Fans can call 315-228-4062 or visit the Reid Athletic Center Ticket Office on Tuesdays from 1-4 p.m. and Thursday from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
- Fans are encouraged to wear white in an effort to white out Cotterell Court. T-shirts will be given away while they last.
