Men’s Basketball: Terriers come up short against Colgate

By Hannah Yoshinaga

Despite coming away with a major win the first time it faced Colgate, the Boston University men’s basketball team couldn’t recreate the magic Saturday at Cotterell Court, falling to the Raiders 72-53.

The Terriers (19-10, 10-6 PL) were unable to keep pace with the first-place Raiders (17-11, 13-2 PL) on offense, shooting only 3-of-17 from deep. They struggled to convert free-throws as well and went 10-for-19 from the line on the afternoon.

BU also failed to generate as many scoring opportunities as Colgate, due in part to its 13 turnovers compared to the Raiders’ five.

Fifth-year guard Javante McCoy paced the Terriers with 16 points on 50% shooting, but BU had only two other players — senior forward Walter Whyte and fifth-year center Sukhmail Mathon — surpass six points.

Further complicating the picture was familiar foe Nelly Cummings, who managed 18 points despite shooting only 5-of-16 from the floor. Jack Ferguson, another longtime Colgate stalwart, shot an efficient 5-of-9 and created more problems for the Terrier defense.

Neither team ever led by more than five points during the entire first period, and BU went into the break leading 30-27.

However, the Terrier offense slowed during the second half, shooting only 35.5% and turning the ball over on nearly one-fifth of its possessions. After Colgate forward Keegan Records put back a layup with 17:18 remaining to give the Raiders a one-point advantage, BU never led again.

The victory was yet another for Colgate against BU; entering the game, the Raiders came away with a win in 8 of their previous 10 matchups against the Terriers.

If BU faces Colgate again this season, it won’t be until the playoffs. They return home on Wednesday to face Lafayette at 7 p.m.