EASTON, Pa. — Colgate fell to Lafayette 66-55 in its regular-season finale at Kirby Sports Center.
With Colgate's loss and Bucknell and Boston U. also falling, Lafayette clinched the No. 6 seed in the Patriot League Tournament. Colgate finished as the No. 10 seed and will travel to Lewisburg, Pa., to face No. 7 Bucknell in a first-round matchup Saturday at 4 p.m.
COMMENTS FROM SHANNON BUSH
"I am proud of the way that our team has continued to show resilience and fight. It is a new season & anything can happen in March. We are looking forward to the opportunity to compete in the Patriot League Tournament this weekend. "
HOW IT HAPPENED
In an early back-and-forth battle, Lafayette took a 6-4 lead on mid-range jumpers. The Leopards extended their advantage to 12-4 with a pair of 3-pointers.
Out of a timeout, Ella Meabon converted a layup, and Christina Midgette added a steal and fast-break basket to cut the deficit to 12-8.
Lafayette hit its third 3-pointer late in the first quarter, but Madison Schiller answered with one of her own. The Leopards added a final jumper to take a 17-11 lead into the second quarter.
Grace Klag opened the second with a jumper off a Schiller assist, sparking a strong offensive stretch for Colgate. The Raiders outscored Lafayette 22-18 in the quarter to keep the game close.
Meabon fueled a 10-0 run with seven points, helping Colgate take a 30-27 lead.
Talia Zurinskas responded for Lafayette with a 3-pointer at the 1:28 mark and added free throws in the closing seconds to give the Leopards a 35-33 halftime advantage.
Klag tied the game at 35 with a layup to open the third quarter, and Meabon followed with a jumper to give Colgate a 37-35 lead.
During a four-minute stretch, the teams exchanged six lead changes before Lafayette used an 8-0 run to regain control. Klag stopped the surge briefly with a layup, but Zurinskas closed the quarter with a 3-pointer to give Lafayette a 55-45 lead entering the fourth.
Abbey Ferguson hit two early 3-pointers in the final quarter to help Colgate chip away at the deficit. However, Lafayette matched the Raiders' energy and sealed the win with steady free-throw shooting down the stretch, with the Pards closing out the regular-season with a 66-55 victory.
NOTES
- Ella Meabon and Grace Klag finished in double figures.
- The Raiders made five 3-pointers, including two from Ferguson.
- Colgate scored 40 percent of its points in the paint (22).
- Klag finished one rebound shy of a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds.
UP NEXT
Colgate (6-23, 2-16Â Patriot) travels to Lewisburg, Pa., to face Bucknell (11-18, 7-11 Patriot) in the first round of the Patriot League Tournament on Saturday at 4 p.m.
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