NCAAB Game Recap - Bucknell at Colgate
Wed Mar 13, 2019 7:30 PM EDT

SCSt
73
Norf
78
F
Buck
80
Colg
94
F
Copp
79
NCAT
82
F(OT)
Mia-FL
56
VaTec
71
F
Cal
51
Colora
56
F
HCU
79
Lamar
81
F
MTSU
61
UAB
70
F
Ida
71
MTSt
75
F
SJSU
56
AF
87
F
CenAR
73
TXAMC
53
F
Pitt
59
Syr
73
F
Rice
65
Marsh
82
F
WaSt
51
Oreg
84
F
IdaSt
80
S UT
94
F
Wyo
68
NM
78
F
ND
53
Lou
75
F
Stan
72
UCLA
79
F
DeP
74
StJon
82
F
WVU
72
Okla
71
F
N TX
71
FIU
57
F
Sac
72
NoAZ
60
F
Clem
58
NCSU
59
F
ColSt
57
Bois
66
F
Ariz
65
USC
78
F
FAU
56
LaTec
57
F
Butl
57
Prov
80
F
OkSt
70
TCU
73
F
Ford
50
Rich
52
F
NW
69
Ill
74
F(OT)
Vand
52
TAMU
69
F
UMass
64
GrgWas
68
F(OT)
Nebras
68
Rut
61
F
UGA
61
Mizzu
71
F

Mar 13, 2019, 7:30 PM EDT

Final

1

2

T

(2) Bucknell

30

50

80

(1) Colgate

43

51

94

Colgate beats Bucknell 94-80 for Patriot League title
Thu Mar 14, 2019 12:20 AM

HAMILTON, N.Y. (AP) Colgate survived Hurricane Mackenzie and now the Raiders are in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1996.

Jordan Burns had a career-high 35 points and Will Rayman added 18 to lead top-seeded Colgate to a 94-80 victory over No. 2 Bucknell in the championship game of the Patriot League Tournament on Wednesday night.

It was the 11th straight victory for the Raiders (24-10), a school record.

"I'm thrilled to be their coach and to have this win go down in Colgate history," Colgate coach Matt Langel said. "For me it means a lot. Obviously, we don't have a ton of history and tradition. I'm really proud of the program that we've built.

"This isn't a flash in the pan. We lost in the championship game a year ago. A couple of years ago we lost in the semifinals. This culture isn't going away."

Still, it wasn't easy.

Colgate's 43-30 halftime lead had evaporated to a mere two points at 50-48 with just under 16 minutes to go, thanks to an incredible shooting display by Bison senior guard Kimbal Mackenzie. He had 16 of his team's first 18 points after intermission, including 4 of 4 from beyond the arc.

Playing before a frenzied, sold-out, standing-room crowd at tiny Cotterell Court, the Raiders kept their composure.

"Kimbal Mackenzie's as tough of a competitor as there is. You know he's not going to go down without a fight, and he found a way to get his team right back into the game," Langel said. "I have to credit our guys for really staying unflappable. We stuck to our plan of playing tough and playing together and taking what the defense gives you."

The victory avenged Colgate's championship game loss a year ago at Bucknell. The Bison won that matchup 83-54.

"It doesn't feel good when there's a guy that nobody can guard," Burns said. "Our coach, his message is always, `Weather the storm. When things are bad, stick together.' We weren't really rattled. You get a little disheartened when someone is hitting shots like that, but we knew how hard we worked to get to this moment and we weren't going to give it up."

Rapolas Ivanauskas added 12 points for the Raiders, whose 24 wins also are a school record.

Mackenzie led Bucknell (21-12) with 23 points. Nate Sestina had 21 before fouling out.

"I was just playing in the flow, just taking the opportunities I had, nothing different than any other way I'd approach the game," Mackenzie said. "I just happened to be open a couple of times. You just get into your groove. The net gets a little bigger. It's hard to describe."

Burns hit 6 of 9 from 3-point range and 10 of 16 overall. Colgate hit 12 of 21 on 3s and 30 of 52 from the field for 58 percent.

Colgate answered Mackenzie's blitz with an emphatic run, scoring six straight as part of a 23-10 spurt to take a 73-58 lead with 8:25 remaining. Burns scored 11 points during the game-breaking rush, including consecutive 3s in a 40-second span.

A hook shot by Rayman gave Colgate its biggest lead at 78-59 with 6:50 to go and the Raiders were never headed.

"It was obviously a big stretch there," said Bucknell coach Nathan Davis. "We got it down to two. After that we hung around but made a couple of mistakes. They hit three straight 3s and it was too much of a hole to overcome."

Burns downplayed his memorable night for Colgate.

"For us it's whoever gets the open shot," he said. "I just happened to be the guy that was knocking down shots. It just happened to be me tonight. It was my team having the confidence in me to take that shot.

"The goal was to get back to this game and have it here and win it."

BIG PICTURE

Bucknell: It was a disappointing ending for the Bison, who seemed to have all the momentum after climbing to within two. They now await an invitation to the postseason.

Colgate: Euphoria is the word in Hamilton and Jordan Burns is the toast of the town as the Raiders await their first-round matchup in the NCAA Tournament.

UP NEXT

NCAA Tournament bracket announcement Sunday.

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More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25

Leaders

Bucknell PTS +/- AST REB ST BLK
K. Mackenzie 23 0 3 3 2 0
N. Sestina 21 0 1 5 0 1
Colgate PTS +/- AST REB ST BLK
J. Burns 35 0 6 2 3 0
W. Rayman 18 0 2 7 2 1

Team Comparison

Buck Colg
Points For 80 94
Field Goals 24/55-44% 30/52-58%
Three Pointers 13/31-42% 12/21-57%
Free Throws 19/25-76% 22/29-76%
Offensive Rebounds 7 8
Defensive Rebounds 17 27
Rebounds 28 39
Blocks 1 3
Steals 4 9
Turnovers 12 14
Personal Fouls 24 17
Technical Fouls 0 0
Ejections 0 0

2018-19 Reg Season - Colg Leads Series 2-1

Date Result Away Pts Ldr Home Pts Ldr
Wed Jan 9 Colg 81 @ Buck 84 J. Burns 28 K. Mackenzie 25
Tue Feb 19 Buck 64 @ Colg 75 A. Toomer 16 R. Ivanauskas 21
Wed Mar 13 Buck 80 @ Colg 94 K. Mackenzie 23 J. Burns 35

Game Information

Stadium: Cotterell Court, Hamilton, New York
Attendance: 1,821
Game Time: