HAMILTON, N.Y. (AP) — Keegan Records scored 21 points, Tucker Richardson had a triple-double and top-seeded Colgate won its third consecutive Patriot League Tournament championship with a 79-61 victory over six-seeded Lafayette on Wednesday.
The three-peat is the first in the league since Holy Cross accomplished the feat (2000-03). The Raiders were in their sixth straight title game.
The Raiders (26-8) beat the Leopards (11-23) for the third time this season, winning their ninth straight game. The first two wins came on 12- and four-point margins. But the third time around Colgate had a 17-point lead by halftime that reached as many as 24 in the second half.
“I just feel like once we get a lead, we’re just so hard for teams to come back on us because we’ve been in so many big games over the years,” Richardson said in a postgame TV interview.
Records finished 9-of-10 shooting and blocked five shots. League player of the year Richardson, who had double-doubles in the first two tournament games, finished with 14 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists — the first Colgate triple-double since 1997.
Colgate's five starters average double figures and they did so again. Oliver Lynch-Daniels scored 14 points, Braeden Smith 11 and Ryan Moffatt 10. The Raiders, second in the nation behind Gonzaga in field-goal percentage, shot 58.5%.
Josh Rivera led the Leopards with 13 points and Devin Hines had 10. Lafayette, picked last in the preseason poll, shot 34% and was just 5 of 32 from the arc
Colgate took the lead at 7-6 and led thereafter. Records was perfect on eight shots and blocked three shots in the first half in scoring 17 points and Colgate took a 41-24 lead at the break after shooting 61%.
Colgate coach Matt Langel tied former Holy Cross coach Ralph Willard for the most Patriot League Tournament championships with four.
Assistant Mike McGarvey served as acting head coach for Lafayette. Mike Jordan was put on paid leave two weeks ago while the university conducts an investigation resulting from a complaint the school received about Jordan's work as head coach.
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