A big start and a strong finish were the perfect ingredients for the AU women's basketball team to cruise to a 60-38 victory over the Colgate University Raiders Saturday afternoon. The win improves the Eagles' record to 8-2 in the Patriot League and 18-7 overall on the season.
Sophomore forward Michelle Kirk scored a game-high 19 points, while fellow sophomore Liz Leer also scored in double-digits with 13 points of her own.
AU started the game red hot offensively and never looked back.
Senior guard Talicia Jackson scored the game's first points on a three-pointer, initiating a commanding 15-0 scoring run by the Eagles, holding Colgate without a point for the first ten minutes of the half.
AU kept up the pressure throughout the half, building their lead to a then-game high 24 points by the end of the period, with a 36-12 lead. The Eagles defense only allowed Colgate to collect 12 points on 3 of 20 shooting, their best first-half defensive effort of the season.
The second half was the same story for the Eagles, who continued to hold a huge lead throughout the game.
The closest Colgate got throughout the second half was 14 points, after going on a 7-0 scoring run with four minutes remaining in the game.
However, the Eagles responded and ended the game on a high note, scoring 10 of the game's next 12 points to take the final score of 60-38.
"We were very pleased with our defensive energy in the first half of the game in holding Colgate to 12 points on 15 percent shooting," AU Head Coach Matt Corkery told AUeagles.com. "We also did a nice job on offense in shooting 52 percent from the field for the game. We are happy to get a road win the league heading toward the final few weeks of the regular season." With the victory, the Eagles remain tied for first place with Lehigh University in the Patriot League with four games remaining in the regular season.
AU hosts the U.S. Military Academy at 7 p.m. Wednesday inside Bender Arena.
You can reach this staff writer at jhall@theeagleonline.com.
