The Raiders have been outscored by double digits a whopping 12 times in the second half this season, including five times in Patriot League play. Two of those instances occurred in their 63-49 loss at Army Sunday and 74-73 win at Lafayette last night. While Colgate has time to rectify the issue before Patriot League tournament play, the win over Lafayette, which beat the Raiders 95-82 earlier this season, symbolizes the parity in the Patriot League this season, showing that anything can happen on any given night.

 

Playing live on CBS College Sports, Colgate and Army were tied at 29 before the Black Knights opened the second half with a 19-5 run that effectively put the game away. The Raiders did not get within single digits after that point.

 

In the first half, the Raiders scored the game’s first six points en route to a 9-3 opening run. Colgate later led 14-8 after a Roemer three-pointer before Army responded with a 10-3 run to take the lead. Both teams traded baskets and the lead throughout the rest of the session before settling for the halftime tie at 29.

 

Army was led by Cleveland Richard with 17 points and Julian Simmons, who had 14. For Colgate, senior guard Kyle Roemer scored 17 with six rebounds, sophomore forward Yaw Gyawu had 13 points and senior forward Ben Jonson contributed 10. Elsewhere in the box score, Army out-rebounded Colgate 36-24 and made nine more free throws.

 

Bench play was lacking as the Raiders’ substitutes did not muster a single point.

 

Against Lafayette, Jonson hit a go-ahead free throw with four seconds left to give Colgate a 74-73 advantage. Lafayette guard Jeff Kari tried an open three from the corner as time expired, but the shot rimmed out.

 

Colgate trailed for the majority of the first half before ending with a ferocious 14-0 run to take a 41-27 lead into the intermission. Roemer had five points, Jonson four and Rolls three during that run.

 

The Raiders stretched their lead to 15 points in the second half but Lafayette stormed back to eventually take a 60-59 lead. Later in the half, Gyawu broke a 71-all tie with a jumper with 26 seconds left. Kari responded with two free throws, leading to Jonson’s game-winning point.

 

Roemer and Jonson each had 17, Gyawu had 14 and first-year forward Brandon James had a career-high ten points with five rebounds in just 14 minutes.

 

Lafayette made all nineteen of its free throws, while Colgate made 11-of-17 three pointers.

 

The Raiders will now host American on Saturday at 2 p.m. and first-place Lehigh on Wednesday at 7 p.m., looking for revenge on both teams.

Contact Paul Kasabian at [email protected].