BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Colgate was outscored in the second half, falling to Lehigh, 64-45, at Stabler Arena on Saturday. Despite holding a nine-point lead after the first quarter, led by Taye Matthews and Madison Schiller, the Raiders were unable to maintain their advantage.
COMMENTS FROM HEAD COACH SHANNON BUSHÂ
"I was very proud of our collective defensive effort, holding an efficient scoring team in Lehigh to 4 points in the first quarter and 20 points in the first half.Â
"Credit to Lehigh for their execution in the third quarter to open the game up.Â
"We will continue to grow together and will get back to work to prepare for Loyola to come to Hamilton on Wednesday."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Schiller opened the score for Colgate, nailing a jumper and trey to give Colgate a 5–0 early edge. Matthews contributed five unanswered points from a jumper and a three-pointer, in addition to Ella Meabon's 1-for-2 free-throw shooting to give Colgate its largest lead of the game, 11–0. In an eight-minute span, the Raiders blanked the Mountain Hawks. In the first quarter alone, Colgate forced Lehigh to have seven turnovers, miss 11 shots while shooting 2-for-11 from the floor, and allowed only four Mountain Hawk points, the team's season-low point total in a quarter.Â
In the second quarter, Lehigh outpaced the Raiders with a 16–8 run. Returning the favor, the Mountain Hawks garnered an 11–0 run to take a 15–13 lead. The run was stopped by a backdoor cut from Abbey Ferguson, who laid the ball in for two, leveling the score at 15–15. The two teams traded baskets as Meabon sealed the Raiders' first-half with a pair of free throws, entering halftime on top, 21–20. Â
Out of the half, Lehigh gained momentum early in the third quarter with a series of successful layups to edge a 24–23 lead. Lehigh pushed for a five-point advantage, but Schiller's three-pointer brought the score to 30–28, keeping the Raiders in striking distance. However, the Mountain Hawks found their stride late in the third, scoring off three-pointers and lay ups. Laila Hankerson contributed two baskets for Colgate, but the Raiders trailed by eight, 42–34, with 10:00 left in regulation.Â
The Mountain Hawks hit three of their six three-threes in the fourth quarter while forcing the Raiders to turnover the ball five times, ultimately sealing Colgate's fate. Aside from Meabon's early jumpers and Schiller's late trey, Colgate only had success scoring from the foul line. Kennedy Parrot made a pair of free throws in the final minute, but the scoring differential led to a 64–45 Raider loss.Â
GAME NOTES
- Colgate kept Lehigh to a season-low four points scored in a quarter.
- This is the first time Schiller has led the Raiders in scoring since she's been back.
- Christina Midgette led the Raiders for the second time this season in rebounds with seven.
- The Mountain Hawks average 66.5 points per game, and the Raiders held them to 64.
UP NEXT
Colgate (5–10, 1–3 Patriot) will return to Cotterell Court after two straight road games to host Loyola (6–9, 2–2 Patriot) on Wednesday at 11 a.m. for Kids Day.
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