Colgate’s diehard fans have seen a furious comeback against Lafayette fall short and three double-digit leads blown in consecutive home games during Patriot League games at Cotterell Court this year. Unfortunately, the Raiders game against Lehigh only added to the many disappointments that have taken place this season. The Mountain Hawks defeated Colgate 56-53 in overtime on a cold and windy Valentine’s Day, on which over two feet of snow fell in Hamilton. The Raiders led 49-45 after junior Kyle Chones’ three-pointer with just over a minute remaining. On Lehigh’s following possession, junior Peter Minchella fouled Jose Olivero while driving to the basket. Olivero made the first free throw and missed the second, but Lehigh’s Zahir Carrington grabbed the board. After Lehigh passed the ball around, rookie sensation Marquis Hall hit a three-pointer to tie the game. Chones traveled on the following possession, giving Lehigh a chance to win in regulation; fortunately, Colgate’s stingy defense made a key stop and forced Olivero to take a tough shot that caromed off the rim.

In the overtime session, the normally reliable Jon Simon missed the front end of two one-and-one opportunities, and the rest of the team couldn’t find the basket. Red-shirt sophomore Willie Morse had the best game of his collegiate career with 18 points and six rebounds while junior Kyle Chones had another great outing, scoring 17 points.

“(Morse) is a very good shooter and he’s a good passer,” Head Coach Emmett Davis said. “We really need three guys that can score on a consistent basis and he certainly has the potential to do that for us.”

Last Saturday, Colgate took a break from its Patriot League schedule and faced Marist in an ESPNU Bracket Buster game. Marist is led by senior point guard and NBA prospect Jared Jordan, who averages 17.5 points and 8.6 assists a game. However, Marist’s second leading scorer Will Whittington led the way with 15 points off of five three-pointers in a 63-47 Red Fox win. Colgate led 22-15 at one point, but Marist went on a 14-1 run in the first half and a 15-4 run in the second half to seal the game. Jon Simon led the team with 10 points and Kyle Chones chipped in nine of his own. On the bright side, Jordan was held to only nine points and seven assists.

“I think he’s (Jordan) one of the best (point guards) we’ve seen this year,” Davis said. “He just makes everybody better around him.”

Colgate’s final home game this season is against Navy on Saturday at 2 p.m. Show up on Senior Day and join the Marc Daniels Posse and Bill Stoklosa to cheer the Raiders and taunt Navy superstar Greg Sprink and friends.