Behind a strong effort from Michelle Kirk and a solid second-half performance, the AU women’s basketball team defeated the Colgate Raiders 80-58 last Sunday and notched their fourth consecutive victory.
Kirk, a junior forward, filled up the stat sheet in the win. She finished with 26 points, six rebounds, four assists, four steals and one block. Kirk averages over 20 points per game, a record that tops the Patriot League.
AU wasted no time in jumping out in front, as they led 10-0 before Colgate Head Coach Pamela Bass called a timeout. The Raiders regained their composure and trailed 16-12 with 10 minutes remaining in the first half.
| Men's Basketball | |
| AU | 80 |
| Colgate | 58 |
| Hamilton, N.Y. |
Kelly Korkowski finished off a Colgate 7-0 run with a jumper to bring the Raiders within three. After a layup by Raven Harris and two free throws by Kirk put the Eagles up seven, Colgate’s Kendra Brim’s layup as the half expired put AU’s halftime lead at 37-32.
Kirk had 13 first half points for the Eagles, while Liz Leer and Raven Harris tallied eight and six, respectively. Candice Green led Colgate with nine points at the half.
Just like they did in the first half, the Eagles started off the second half firing on all cylinders. Five points by Liz Leer, two by Ohemaa Nyanin and three by Ebony Edwards highlighted a 10-3 AU run that pushed the Eagles lead to 47-35.
The Eagles continued to extend their lead and a three-pointer by Lisa Strack put the AU lead at 55-38 with 15 minutes remaining. The two teams would go back and forth, with the lead standing at 17 with 6:49 to play.
A three-pointer by Edwards continued AU’s second half dominance and gave the Eagles their largest lead at 75-51. AU coasted to an 80-58 victory, as they outscored Colgate 43-26 in the second half.
In addition to Kirk’s great performance, two AU starters finished in double figures. Leer added 13 points to go along with seven rebounds and three blocks. Edwards chipped in 10 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four steals. Katie Garman led Colgate with 11 points.
The win improves the Eagles to 10-7 on the season and 3-0 in the PL, good for sole possession of first place in the conference. This is the first time AU has started off 3-0 in the league since the 2002-03 season. The loss drops Colgate to 6-11 overall and 1-2 in PL play.
AU’s next game will be at Bender Arena this Wednesday against Army. Army is 2-1 in the conference and 8-9 overall.
You can reach this writer at sports@theeagleonline.com.
