WEST POINT, N.Y. – Playing without leading scorer
Jalen Cox and emerging starter
Josh Ahayere, Colgate found plenty of answers, riding 18-point performances from
Kyle Carlesimo,
Sam Wright, and
Ben Tweedy to fuel Colgate's 76-69 road win at Army Saturday afternoon.
Carlesimo's Colgate-best 18 points came with four made 3-pointers to offset Army's Ryan Curry who scored a game-high 24 on six made treys. Wright's 18 points came on the heels of his 20-point outing at Lafayette, and Tweedy's 18 were in addition to three assists with no turnovers.
COACH LANGEL'S COMMENTS
"I'm really proud of the group and thrilled to get the win amidst the circumstances. I was proud of how we battled round by round – every four-minute segment. We stuck with it, made shots, and made stops. Especially in the second half, we really limited our turnovers and then made our free throws. I'm not sure I've ever been a part of a game where everyone who played in the game had a significant impact on the result. Just a full team effort.
"Now it's on to American – the defending champion in our league. We only get a chance to have the defending champions come to our place once during the regular season. This game is important for a lot of reasons, but most importantly because it's the next one on the schedule."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Colgate used an 11-0 burst in the second half to turn a three-point deficit into a marginal cushion. Carlesimo's fourth 3-pointer tied the game at 50-50, and then buckets from Tweedy and Brady Cummins pushed the Raiders in front 58-50 with 11:03 remaining.
Carlesimo cashed in on back-to-back mid-range jumpers to give Colgate its largest lead, 70-58. Curry connected on a running 3-pointer to cap an 8-0 response by the Black Knights, who trailed 72-69 with just over a minute left.
Cummins drew a shooting foul on Colgate's next possession and sank both free throws, extending the lead back to two possessions. The Raider defense held strong down the stretch, and Tweedy iced the game from the free throw line to snap Army's four-game win streak.
Colgate shot 44.8 percent overall and connected on 10-of-27 from downtown for a 37 percent clip. Free throws were a key disparity in the game, as Colgate finished 14-of-16 for an 87.5 percent mark, while Army was just 11 of 20 for 55 percent.
Neither side led by more than four points in the first half. The teams traded two 3-pointers apiece, with Ethan Brown and Carlesimo cashing in for a 17-16 Colgate lead midway through the frame. Another trey from Carlesimo kept Colgate in front by one, 30-29, with 4:37 showing.
The lead traded hands once more before Wright's second trey of the half boosted a 5-0 run for the Raiders, who claimed their largest lead, 35-31, with two minutes remaining. Army scored the final three points to close within 35-34 at the intermission.
Andrew Alekseyenko started the second half with back-to-back buckets but Army battled back to take a three-point lead, 50-47. Curry and Carlesimo were going back-and-forth from behind the arc, as Carlesimo's fourth trifecta tied the game at 50-50 with 14:44 remaining.
Carlesimo's trey ignited an 11-0 burst for the Raiders, who built a 58-50 lead after two free throws from Cummins midway through the second half. Colgate's lead was still eight points, 64-56, after an offensive putback by Wright with eight minutes remaining.
Despite Army cutting the margin to three points late, Colgate maintained its lead with strong defensive play and key free throws to improve to 2-0 in Patriot League play.
NOTES
- Kyle Carlesimo made his first start of the season and the fourth nod of his career.
- Brady Cummins returned to the lineup for the first time since Dec. 21 at Florida.
- Andrew Alekseyenko hauled in a career-high 11 rebounds to go with a career-high seven assists.
- Colgate is now 2-0 in Patriot League play for the third time in the last four years.
- The Raiders handed Army its first loss since Dec. 2, snapping its four-game win streak.
- Colgate is now 7-3 this season when leading at halftime.
UP NEXT
Colgate (8-7, 2-0 Patriot) returns to Cotterell Court to host American in a Patriot League semifinal rematch at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.
