HAMILTON – Patriot League-leading Bucknell put six players in double figures and knocked off Colgate 90-62 here Saturday afternoon.
 
Bucknell entered the game leading the conference in six offensive team categories, and the Bison lived up to that advance billing. They scored 20 points in three of the four quarters – settling for 19 in the second – and missed the season scoring high by one point.
 
Colgate was getting good looks early but the Raiders couldn't throw it in the ocean. Colgate missed its first nine shots in spotting Bucknell an 8-0 lead. Keelah Dixon finally ended the drought with 7:00 showing in the quarter, but then the Bison's Abby Kapp made her second 3-pointer for an 11-2 advantage.
 
Bucknell led 22-11 at the end of one quarter and 41-28 at halftime.
 
Colgate played its best ball of the game early in the third quarter. Dixon's 3-point play and Rachel Thompson's jumper in the paint made it 41-33 with 9:17 remaining. Bucknell's Kaitlyn Slagus scored on a layup but then Dixon swished a corner 3-pointer and Colgate was within 43-36 with 8:45 showing.
 
That's when the Bison made their charge and put this one out of reach. Bucknell answered with eight straight points as part of a 19-5 run that lifted the score to 62-41 4:05 on the clock. The Bison scored 29 that quarter and the Raiders didn't pull closer than 14 points the rest of the way.
 
Dixon was Colgate's leading scorer with 15, followed by Mylah Chandler with 12. Chandler made 5-of-7 from the floor and trails only Slagus in the Patriot League shooting race.
 
Bucknell's Ellie Mack led all scorers with 19.
 
Bottom Line
• Bucknell 90, Colgate 62
 
Won-Lost Records
• Colgate is now 7-9 overall and 3-3 in the Patriot League.
• Bucknell improved to 14-4 and 5-1.
 
Stats of the Game
• The Raiders were right on their season averages Saturday in scoring (63.7 for the season), 3-pointers (5.3 and 29.7) free throw percentage (67.7) and turnovers (15.6), and only slightly below in field goal percentage (39.2). They just couldn't slow down the visitors.
• Bucknell's 90 points were the most scored against Colgate since Lafayette defeated the Raiders 90-85 in February 2017.
• Haley Greer led in assists for the fourth time this year, finishing with four. She's second on the team with 37.
• Game rebounding leaders were Mack and Slagus with nine apiece. Greer and Summer King each grabbed five to pace Colgate.
 
From the Sources
• Head Coach Bill Cleary (On the game) "We came out after halftime really strong and cut it to seven, but good teams respond and the next thing you know – 19-5. We have to have better focus and attention to detail, and our players know that. And at times, we allow missed shots to affect what we do. We gave up 90 points; that's unacceptable. That's a lot of points, and that 20 points above their average. We've got to be better. We had great looks in the first three quarters. Some fell, some didn't. That's fine. And we weren't turning the ball over. But we got to get stops, because we can control that."
 
Gate Grab Bag
• Attendance at Cotterell Court was 263.
 
Up Next
• Colgate is on the road Wednesday at Lehigh.
• The Mountain Hawks are 3-3 in the Patriot League and 11-6 overall after Saturday's 61-53 home loss to American.
• Start time is 6 p.m. from Bethlehem, with the Patriot League Network carrying all the action.