The AU women's basketball team fell again on Saturday afternoon, losing to Colgate 66-53 in Hamilton, N.Y. The defeat was the fourth straight for the Eagles, who have not won since a Jan. 24 victory at home against Navy.
After scoring the game's first basket nearly two minutes into the first half, the Raiders would hold the lead throughout the contest. The two teams would trade baskets during the opening minutes of play, with a jumper by Anna Baran tying the game for the Eagles at 15 at the 10:40 mark.
This tie would be as close as the Eagles would get in the first half of play as Colgate would go on a 13-2 run to take a 28-17 lead. The Raiders would hold onto this advantage in the final minutes of the half, taking a 37-27 lead into the break.
The second half was more of the same for the two teams, with Colgate trying to extend their lead and AU working toward cutting away at the deficit. The Eagles would get the margin down to within seven a couple of times during the half, the last coming on a Talicia Jackson three-pointer with 2:46 remaining.
Colgate would respond by going on a 6-0 run of their own, pushing the lead back to double digits before holding on for the 66-53 victory. The win was their second straight league victory, propelling them into a five-way tie for third place in the Patriot League.
Teammates Liz Hayes and Nicole Ryan led the way for the Eagles, scoring 13 points apiece in the losing effort, with all of Ryan's coming off of the bench. Colgate's Gretchen Polinski led all scorers with 21, including six three-pointers on the afternoon.
Next up for the Eagles is a home rematch against the Army Black Knights on Tuesday night. The Black Nights defeated the Eagles in their previous match-up this season, 60-47 in West Point, N.Y.
