HAMILTON – Colgate doubled its fun for the first time all season and capped Senior Day with a 71-60 victory over Loyola.
 
Nia Ahart poured in a collegiate-high 15 points and Mylah Chandler posted her first double-double of the year with 10 points and a career-tying 11 boards. The Raiders completed a 2-0 week and won consecutive games for the first time since last February.
 
Colgate scored the final 12 points of the first half to lead 37-27 at intermission, and then scored 10 straight midway in the third to make it 49-34 with 4:32 showing. The Raiders built their lead to as much as 57-39 early in the fourth quarter before coasting to the victory.
 
The 71 points were the most scored by the Raiders since they dropped an 83-73 decision to Brown back on Dec. 10. It also marked Colgate's second home win of the season and first since Dec. 2 over UMass Lowell.
 
Prior to the game, the Colgate program celebrated seniors Julia Barcello, Kateri Stone and Tori Pozsonyi.
 
Pozsonyi was solid for the second game in a row, earning the start and scoring seven points in 22 minutes. Summer King pitched in eight points and nine rebounds, while Chelsey Koren added eight points and led the team with four assists.
 
Mackenzie Carroll and Abby Schubiger scored six points apiece.
 
Izzy Therien led three from Loyola in double figures. She scored 18 and Alexis Gray 10, while Stephanie Karcz added 16 points, nine rebounds, five assists and a career-tying eight steals. Karcz in the first meeting back on Jan. 21 had a triple-double.
 
Bottom Line
• Colgate 71, Loyola 60
 
Won-Lost Records
• Colgate won its second straight and improved to 6-20 overall, 2-13 in the Patriot League.
• Loyola dropped to 7-19 and 5-10.
 
Key Raider Info
• Colgate for the second game in a row committed fewer turnovers (17-19) than its opponent. The Raiders had a 22-14 edge in points-off-turnovers.
• The 22 points-off-turnovers matched Colgate's season high.
• King has made 24 of her last 28 free throw attempts (85.7 percent).
• Did you know she's also the team leader in steals with 23?
• Carroll scored her six points on 2-of-2 from 3-point distance. She leads the team with 23 made threes and a 38.3 percent success rate.
• Ahart is up to second on the team in scoring at 5.8 (not counting the injured Rachel Thompson).
• Colgate's 43.1 percent from the floor Saturday was its best since Dec. 29 against Holy Cross, when the Raiders shot 44.9. That's also the game when Thompson was injured and lost for the season.
• Colgate the last three games is shooting 78.9 percent from the line (45-of-57).
• The Raiders during their 4-4 start to the season did not post consecutive victories.
• Former Raider captains Randall Butler '16 and Paige Kriftcher '16 were in attendance both at the game and the Senior Day dinner that followed.
 
From the Source
• Head Coach Bill Cleary (On the game) "It was a big home win for us and, more importantly, a big home win for our seniors. We've been saying that if we could get that first win, everything would come together. Now we've got two. We've got to keep going; we're not satisfied. But I'm proud of the perseverance our players have shown all year long."
 
(On Nia Ahart and Mylah Chandler) "Nia is starting to understand the freedom she has, and she played a heck of a game. She's been getting better and better. She wants to win and that's why you are seeing the game she had today. She's not satisfied with what she's done and she's always striving to be better.
 
"Mylah is starting to realize that she's a good player, and I credit our assistant coaches for bringing both of these two players along. Mylah is understanding the things that make her successful. She's a sponge and she has been taking the coaching so well."
 
• Senior forward Tori Pozsonyi (On her week) "It's been extremely exciting. It's such a weight lifted off our shoulders to get that first win. And now, a great win on Senior Day. I'm so thankful for my team getting it done. Hopefully we can get on a little bit of a roll. For tonight, we are just enjoying this win.
 
"Coach talks about playing for each other but on Senior Day, the team really takes to heart playing for the seniors and that means the world to us. That was the best gift they could have given us, playing hard and winning this game."
 
Up Next
• Colgate is at Army West Point for a Wednesday morning tip.
• The Black Knights pulled into a fourth-place tie after knocking off Lehigh 55-50 at home Saturday. They are 14-12 overall and 7-8 in the Patriot League.
• Tipoff is 11 a.m. for the school day special, with the Patriot League Network carrying all the action.