EASTON, Pa. – Jalen Cox scored a career-high 29 points to help Colgate (7-7, 1-0 Patriot) open Patriot League play with an 85-77 win over Lafayette (3-11, 0-1 Patriot) Wednesday afternoon inside the Kirby Sports Center.
Cox dazzled from the field (10-of-13), finished 2-for-2 from behind the arc, and went 7-of-7 from the free throw line to help the Raiders hold off the Leopards. The California sharpshooter added three rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
Sam Wright also reached the 20-point plateau, finishing right at 20 on 6-of-11 from the field including 3-of-7 from downtown. His transition trey with 3:45 left in regulation stretched Colgate's lead to a two-possession game, 73-69, which is where it stayed for the majority of the final stretch.
Andrew Alekseyenko, fresh off his fourth Patriot League Rookie of the Week, scored 14 points and was tied for the team lead in rebounds (9) and assists (4). Wright also corralled nine boards and Ben Tweedy posted four assists to go with seven points.
COACH LANGEL'S COMMENTS
"Winning on the road is critical. It doesn't matter what league you're in, it's hard to do. It was a difficult game and one that we really haven't played in. The identity of the game was one where there were a lot of fouls called. I don't know if we adjusted well, but we competed like crazy. Some of our bench guys gave us good minutes to stabilize some things. Jalen was just terrific. He has found a way to let the game come to him. I can't speak enough about his performance, but this was a really good team win to start league play. On to the next one."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Three-pointers from Wright and Josh Ahayere sparked an 8-2 burst to start the second half, giving Colgate its largest lead of the game, 49-39. Lafayette used a 13-4 response, with eight points coming from Caleb Williams, to reclaim the lead, 56-55, with 13:40 left.
Both teams traded shots and the lead before Colgate's defense turned up the heat – holding Lafayette scoreless for more than four minutes. Tweedy's driving layup gave Colgate the lead for good, 70-69, and then Wright's wing 3-pointer extended the margin to two possessions.
Tweedy's layup ignited an 11-1 blitz for the Raiders down the stretch, pushing the lead to 79-70 with 1:18 left in regulation. Wright scored seven points during the game-changing run. Cox and Kyle Carlesimo finished the game from the free throw line to seal the league-opening victory, 85-77.
Colgate shot 47.4 percent overall (27-57) including 33.3 percent from behind the arc (7-21). The Raiders were 23-of-33 from the foul line for a 72.7 percent clip. Lafayette shot 48.1 percent from the field (26-54), 30 percent from the perimeter (6-20), and 67.9 percent from the line (19-28).
The first half was also back-and-forth with neither team leading by more than four points. The Leopards came out aggressive on their home floor, matching Colgate basket for basket in the opening minutes. Lafayette briefly grabbed an early edge, but Colgate settled in offensively.
Midway through the half, the Raiders began to find rhythm, using ball movement and timely perimeter shooting to build a small cushion. Lafayette stayed within striking distance by attacking the lane and capitalizing on second-chance opportunities.
Colgate broke away from a 37-36 deficit with the final five points of the stanza, highlighted by another half-court buzzer beater from Cox who put the Raiders in front 41-37 at the intermission. Both teams traded momentum in the second half before Colgate's 11-1 run put the game away.
NOTES
- Colgate starts 1-0 in Patriot League play for the fourth straight year.
- Jalen Cox (29) and Sam Wright (20) gave the Raiders two 20-point scorers in a game for the third time this season – and the first time since St. Bonaventure (12/10).
- Cox's career-high 29 points eclipsed his previous personal-best mark of 26, which he had set twice this year against Drexel and St. Bonaventure. He has now scored in double-figures in five straight games – including three with at least 19.
- Andrew Alekseyenko has reached double-figures in seven straight contests.
UP NEXT
Colgate heads to West Point to face Army at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
