Courtesy of GoColgateRaiders.com
WORCESTER, Mass. – Colgate Men’s Basketball saw Holy Cross match its best scoring half of the year to complete a come-from-behind victory here Wednesday night, 65-63.
The Raiders had a 29-20 lead at the break but watched their host outscored them 45-34 in the second period to shift both teams Patriot League mark to 2-1.
Colgate added onto its nine-point halftime lead with a 3-pointer from O’Brien early in the second half to create its largest margin of the game at 32-20.
Over the next four minutes, Holy Cross erased any Colgate lead by using a 16-7 run to pull within 39-36.
The Raiders then extended their lead back to 46-40 at the 10:38 mark, but again the Crusaders went on an 8-0 to take their first lead in the game at 48-46 with under 7 ½ remaining.
The teams then went back and forth taking turns holding the lead and watching three tie scores over the next 90 seconds. But six straight from Holy Cross with 2:31 left handed the hosts the 61-55 edge.
Tom Rivard, who was playing in front of his hometown crowd, answered with a trey to cut the lead in half with two minutes left. Colgate got some stops and had two good looks from behind-the-arc to knot the score but both bounced in-and-out forcing Colgate to start fouling.
After a couple more ticks off the clock and two made free throws from Cullen Hamilton handed Holy Cross a 64-60 advantage with eight second remaining, Austin Tillotson drained a 3-pointer to make it a one-point game again.
The Raiders then quickly fouled the Crusaders with 3.3 seconds remaining, sending them to the charity stripe. Holy Cross converted on 1-of-2 and Colgate had one final attempt at the bucket but it was broken up, handing the Raiders a devastating loss.
Three Colgate players found double-digit scoring with Tillotson leading the way with 18 points. He added six rebounds, eight assists and a steal in his just under 40 complete minutes of action.
Sean O’Brien and Alex Ramon each registered 11 points each, while Jordan Swopshire led Colgate on the boards with seven rebounds.
Colgate has its next two games in the comfy confines of Cotterell Court, hosting the league’s two military academies in Navy and Army West Point. The Raiders welcome the Mids on Saturday for a 2 p.m. tilt followed by a visit from the Black Knights on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
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