HAMILTON, N.Y. (2/14/2007)—Colgate University sophomore Willie Morse (State College, Pa.) registered a career-high 18 points and six rebounds, but it was not quite enough as the Raiders fell to Lehigh University, 56-53, in overtime in Patriot League men’s basketball action at Cotterell Court. This is Colgate’s second consecutive overtime league loss.

 

Lehigh improves to 12-15 overall and 7-4 in the Patriot League, while Colgate drops to 9-16 overall and 4-8 in conference action.

 

Jose Olivero led Lehigh with 16 points and six boards, while Marquis Hall added 14 points in the win. The Mountain Hawks used a pair of free throws in the final 16 seconds to secure the win as they held Colgate without a basket in the final 2:34 of the overtime session.

 

Junior Kyle Chones added 17 points and six caroms for Colgate, including a career-high five three-pointers. The Raiders hit a season-high 10 trifectas in the loss. Senior Jon Simon (Phoenix, Ariz.) added six points and tied his career-high in assists with four.

 

The first half was a flurry of action featuring two ties and six lead changes. The Mountain Hawks got a jumper from Olivero in the final five seconds of the first frame to head into the locker room in front 29-28.

 

Both teams struggled early in the second half as Lehigh held Colgate without a basket for the first 5:28. The Mountain Hawks, however, did not fare much better as they could only build their lead to 36-28 during that stretch.

 

The Raiders slowly chipped away at the deficit and went back in front for the first time in the half, 43-41, at the 7:39 mark. Lehigh got a three-pointer from Hall with 4:45 on the clock to regain a one-point lead.

 

Colgate responded with a 6-1 run with a pair of three-pointers from Chones over the next three minutes. Sporting a 49-45 advantage with 1:32 on the clock, Olivero hit the first of two free throws to make it a one possession game. Olivero missed the second shot at the charity stripe, but was able to corral the offensive board.

 

With 10 seconds left on the shot clock, Hall knocked down his second three-pointer of the game to tie the score at 49-49 and send it into overtime.

 

Colgate got the first basket of the extra session, but managed only one more field goal in the next 4:10 as Lehigh outscored the Raiders 7-2 during that span.

 

The Raiders take a break from the conference schedule for their next contest. Colgate will travel to play Marist in the O’Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters on Feb. 17 at 7:30 p.m., at the McCann Center.