RAIDERS STAY PERFECT AT HOME -TOP EMU 74-70
HAMILTON, N.Y. (12/1/11) – The Colgate men’s basketball team claimed its second win at home and third overall as it topped Eastern Michigan 74-70 Thursday night at Cotterell Court. The Raiders shot 80 percent from the free throw line, including nine in the closing minutes to remain perfect at home this season.
Senior Mike Venezia led the Raiders with a team-high 19 points, while Pat Moore recorded his fifth-straight game in double digits with 14. John Brandenburg matched his career-high with 11 points, while Nick Pascale pitched in nine. Pascale also recorded five rebounds, two blocks and two assists in the win.
Eastern Michigan (4-4) opened the scoring as Jamell Harris made a jumper and Darrell Lampley added a three-pointer to give the Eagles and early 5-0 lead. But Moore answered back with five-straight points to tie the game, before Venezia made a three-pointer to give the Raiders their first lead 8-5 with 15:10 remaining in the half.
Moore would then add to the lead with his second three in the first six minutes of action to put Colgate up 11-5. The Raiders would extend their lead to 17-8 with 9:28 remaining, but EMU was able to close the half with a 19-12 run, including a three-point play by Anthony Strickland with less then a second remaining, to trim the Raiders lead to 29-27 at the half. Moore led all scorers with 14 points in the first half while shooting a perfect 6-6 from the floor.
The Eagles would take their second lead of the game early in the second half 33-31, but Colgate immediately answered back with an 13-5 run to lead 44-38 with 14:29 remaining in regulation.
The Raiders would then extend their lead to 57-44, their largest of the game, before Brandenburg through home a monster dunk to answer a three-point play by Lampley to make the score 59-47 with 7:23 remaining. EMU would trim Colgate’s lead to 63-57 with 3:11 left in regulation and then sent the Raiders to charity stripe where they finished the game.
EMU was led by Lampley who recorded a game-high 37 points, while Strickland pitched in 11.
Colgate (3-4) won the battle on the boards 34-29 and shot an amazing 55.0 percent from the field, while holding the Eagles to 38.1 percent. The Raiders also dished out a season-high 18 assists in the game.
The Raiders will stay instate when they travel Albany on Wednesday, Dec. 7. The game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at SEFCU Arena.
