BASKETBALL GAME CENTRAL

SHOOT WITH THE RAIDERS (PDF)

THIS WEEK
Wed., Jan. 4 - vs. Columbia 7 p.m. ET (Cotterell Court)

The Colgate University men's basketball team will look to snap its three-game losing skid when it hosts Columbia on Wednesday, Jan. 4. The game is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. at Cotterell Court and will be streamed live on Colgate All-Access.

BASKETBALL GAME CENTRAL
Raider fans can follow every Colgate game this season through Basketball Game Central located on the Colgate Athletic Website. Basketball Game Central keeps fans one click away from following live stats, listening to the radio or watching the game live. Basketball Game Central also carries all the information on each opponent from who is leading the all-time series to who won the last game.

THE SERIES WITH COLUMBIA
This will be the 23rd meeting between Colgate and Columbia with the Lions leading the all-time series 13-9. Columbia won last season 76-63 in New York, N.Y. The Raiders last win came during the 1998-99 season 75-64 in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. at the Pepsi-Marist Classic.

LAST TIME OUT
Three Raiders scored in double-figures but it wasn't enough as the Colgate men's basketball team dropped its third-straight game with a 71-64 loss to New Hampshire Saturday afternoon at Lundholm Gymnasium.

Senior Mike Venezia led the Raiders with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the floor, including 3-of-4 from downtown, while junior Mitch Rolls scored 14 points and senior Sterling Melville pitched in 10. Senior Nick Pascale also contributed with six points; five rebounds and one blocked shot, while junior Brandon James led the team with seven rebounds.

SCOUTING COLUMBIA (9-5)
Meiko Lyles scored a career-high 25 points and the Columbia Lions put together a strong defensive effort to capture a 67-52 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson at Levien Gymnasium on Monday night.

Lyles made 7-of-14 field goals and 8-of-11 from the foul line in the game. He also grabbed five rebounds. Alex Rosenberg finished with nine points and six rebounds for the Lions, who also received six points from Brian Barbour, Mark Cisco and Chris Crockett.

With the score tied at 14-14 with nine minutes remaining in the first half, Columbia embarked on a 13-0 spurt, holding Fairleigh Dickinson scoreless for more than six minutes. The Lions eventually led 31-17 at halftime when Barbour sank a mid-range jumper with the clock winding down in the first half.

The Lions made 15-of-18 from the free throw line while Fairleigh Dickinson converted on 11-of-20 free throw attempts. Columbia outrebounded Fairleigh Dickinson 35-33.

500-500-100
Colgate senior Nick Pascale is closing in on becoming just the fifth Raider in school history to score 500 or more points, grab 500 or more rebounds and block 100 or more shots in a career. Pascale currently has 486 points, 479 rebounds and 95 blocked shots.

ROLLING IN THE THREES
Colgate junior guard Mitch Rolls currently ranks second the Patriot League in three-point field goal percentage, knocking down 49.0 percent of his shots from beyond the arc. Rolls has made 25-of-51 three-pointers this season, while senior Mike Venezia has made 25-of-56 three-pointers (44.6 percent) which ranks sixth in the League. As a team the Raiders rank second in the Patriot League with a 39.3 three-point field goal percent.

1,000 POINTS AND COUNTING
Last season, senior forward Yaw Gyawu became the 28th player in school history to join the 1,000-point club. Gyawu currently has 1,165 points which ranks 20th, only seven points behind Jon Simon (1,172) for 19th overall.

VENEZIA KEEPS RAINING THREES
Colgate senior Mike Venezia has made a total of 167 three-pointers in his career which ranks seventh all-time at Colgate, just three behind Alvin Reed for sixth. Former teammate Kyle Roemer '10 holds the school record (267), while director of basketball operations Mark Linebaugh '04 ranks fifth with 173. Venezia is also 130 points (870) away from becoming the 29th Raider to join the 1,000-point club.

SHOOT WITH THE RAIDERS
The Colgate University men's and women's basketball teams are inviting fans and friends to join them for the seventh annual “Shoot With The Raiders” event on Sunday, January 8 at 1:00 p.m. at Cotterell Court in the Reid Athletic Center.

The event, which is open to the public, will give fans the opportunity to meet and get autographs from their favorite players and coaches. There will also be a series of skill competitions and drills for participants which include shooting, basketball relay races, and more to name a few. Admission for the event is free.

UP NEXT
Colgate will open Patriot League play at American on Saturday, Jan. 7. The game is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m. at Bender Arena and will be streamed live on Patriot League All-Access.