WASHINGTON – Colgate made a serious run at American here Saturday, but give the Eagles credit. They answered.
 
American made its last seven shots from the floor and all 10 fourth-quarter free throws to get past a determined Colgate squad, 64-56. The Eagles put 26 points on the board in the final period.
 
Ari Booth accounted for 12 of those points on her way to a game- and career-high 21. That helped offset the 19 scored by Colgate's Josie Stockill, who led four Raiders in double figures.
 
Except for a brief stretch early in the second half, this game was close throughout. American led at each break: 14-12 at the end of the first, 22-17 at halftime and 38-37 at the end of three quarters. Colgate used a 10-0 run midway in the third to rally from a 30-20 deficit as the back-and-forth action kicked in.
 
Paige Kriftcher converted a driving 3-point play with 5:56 remaining to hand Colgate its largest lead at 45-42. But Lauren Crisler hit a jumper – she didn't miss, going 6-of-6 – and Booth did the same to spark an 8-0 American run that made it 50-45 with 3:32 showing.
 
Colgate drew within 52-51 and then 54-53 with just over 90 seconds remaining, but the Raiders never could quiet the Eagle offense. American was 8-of-8 at the free-throw line over the final 36 seconds to complete a sweep of the season series.
 
In addition to Stockill, Kriftcher scored 10, Katie Curtis 12 and Ariel Etheridge 11 for the Raiders.
 
Crisler scored 14 points and added nine boards for American. In two games this season against Colgate, the junior forward scored 34 points on 14-of-22 shooting to go with 18 rebounds.
 
The Raiders play Wednesday at Holy Cross in a 7 p.m. tip.
 
Bottom Line
• American 64, Colgate 56
 
Won-Lost Records
• Colgate is now 4-15 overall and 2-7 in the Patriot League.
• American improved to 5-15 and 3-6.
 
How It Happened
• Curtis scored the game's first basket for Colgate and then American reeled off nine straight. Six Raider turnovers contributed.
• Mylah Chandler snapped the Colgate scoring drought with a layup after a nice look from Kriftcher.
• Colgate picked up the scoring pace and closed within 14-12 at the quarter break.
• The second quarter was very low-scoring – 8-5 in favor of American. The Eagles led 22-17 at intermission.
• Back-to-back 3-pointers by American's Cecily Carl helped the Eagles start quickly in the third quarter. The Eagles led 30-20 with 8:22 showing for their largest lead.
• But Colgate reeled off the next 10 points – Stockill and Etheridge drained 3-pointers and then Curtis and Julia Barcello combined for four free throws.
• The lead changed hands a couple of times before American capped the quarter with a 38-37 advantage.
• There were three ties and six lead changes in the second half, and the opening 5:14 of the fourth quarter was when momentum was really swinging.
• Colgate took the lead to start the fourth, fell behind by three and then went 6-0 capped by the Kriftcher 3-point play that made it 45-42 Raiders.
• But American and Booth played their best ball down the stretch. Booth's arching jumper over the outstretched arm of Stockill – the nation's top shot-blocker – swished through for a 56-53 lead with 1:01 remaining.
• It was free throws from there as American held on for its 20th straight victory in the series.
 
Facts & Figures
• American's 7-of-7 finish lifted the Eagles to 45.1 percent from the field.
• Colgate shot 37.5 percent, making 18-of-48.
• The Raiders were 16-of-22 at the line, improving to 71.3 percent for the season. Colgate in its last four games is shooting 76.4 percent (55-of-72) from the stripe.
• The Raiders are second in the Patriot League in free throw shooting and inside the top 100 nationally.
• The program record of 72.0 percent, set just last season, is within reach.
• Colgate claimed a 34-29 rebounding edge but committed 20 turnovers to 15 for American. The Eagles had a 24-14 edge in points-off-turnovers, but Colgate came out on top in second-chance points by a 10-2 count.
 
More Key Info
• Colgate's complete scoring column saw Stockill with 19, Curtis 12, Etheridge 11, Kriftcher 10, Chandler 2, Tori Pozsonyi 1 and Barcello 1.
• Kriftcher continues to lead the team with her 12th game scoring in double figures. That's one better than Stockill.
• Stockill took over team honors in a pair of categories: she's now led Colgate in scoring seven times and in rebounding 10 times (Randyll Butler remains at nine rebounding highs since her Jan. 6 injury).
• In addition to Stockill's seven rebounds, Chandler, Barcello and Kateri Stone had five apiece. Curtis dished out three assists.
• Stockill and Pozsonyi had the team's only blocked shots with one apiece. Stockill now has 77 for the year and is averaging 4.1.
 
Turning Point
• Colgate's second-half scoring surge lifted the Raiders to a 45-42 lead when Kriftcher converted a 3-point play with 5:56 remaining.
• But consecutive hoops by American's Crisler and Booth sparked an 8-0 run that handed American the lead for keeps.
• Colgate challenged and drew within a single point on a couple of occasions but never could go back in front. Sharp shooting by the Eagles from the field and at the line proved to be the difference.
 
Gate Grab Bag
• Attendance at Bender Arena was 244.
• Among family and friends in attendance Saturday were three Raiders from last year's squad: Carole Harris, Mariah Jones and Steph Schultz.
 
Up Next
• Colgate plays Wednesday night at Holy Cross, looking for a second straight win in Worcester.
• Last year, the Raiders won for the first time on the Crusaders' home floor with a 76-71 triumph at the Hart Center.
• Holy Cross defeated Colgate 80-71 earlier this month in Hamilton. The Crusaders are 8-12 overall and 5-4 in the Patriot League after losing 50-49 Saturday at Navy.
• Tipoff Wednesday is 7 p.m.