Charles Hinkle drained a clutch, go-ahead 3-pointer with 28.8 seconds remaining, and the AU men’s basketball team hung on for a 59-58 win over Colgate University Feb. 4 in Hamilton, N.Y.
Hinkle’s late triple was one of five for him on the night, as he recorded a game-high 23 points. Troy Brewer chipped in nine points and both Daniel Munoz and Tony Wroblicky added five rebounds for the Eagles (15-8, 6-2 PL). Mike Venezia led Colgate (7-16, 1-7 PL) with 13 points.
With 1:47 to play and the Eagles trailing 52-51, Riley Grafft slammed home a pass from Troy Brewer to give AU a one-point advantage. But Venezia promptly responded with a couple of free throws for Colgate, and the Eagles once again found themselves in a one-point hole with less than 90 seconds remaining.
Hinkle continued to have the hot hand after an empty possession for the Eagles, burying his fourth 3-pointer to reclaim the lead for AU at 56-54 with 1:11 to play.
The Raiders burned a timeout, and Venezia came right back with a 3-pointer of his own 10 seconds later to give the Raiders a 57-56 edge.
Hinkle would not be denied, as the senior calmly drilled his fifth and final trey of the night to pull AU in front 59-57 in the game’s closing moments.
With 15 seconds to go, Wroblicky fouled Colgate’s Sterling Melville, sending him to the line for two shots. Melville converted 1-2 to make it 59-58 Eagles.
Blake Jolivette’s turnover on the ensuing inbound pass gave the Raiders one final chance for the win, but Mitch Rolls couldn’t connect on a 3-point attempt with three seconds left.
The game was tight throughout, as neither team was ever able to pull away. After a back-and-forth first half, the Eagles headed to the locker room with a slim 25-24 advantage.
Midway through the second half, AU built up a seven point lead after Simon McCormack’s layup and a 3-pointer from Hinkle. This was the Eagles’ largest lead of the afternoon, and it didn’t last long.
The Raiders promptly answered with a 12-2 run, giving them a 52-49 lead with 3:34 left and setting up the game’s thrilling final minutes.
A key factor in the win for the Eagles was strong shooting. AU shot 54 percent from 3-point range (7-13) and a solid 44 percent from the field (25-57).
Colgate, while shooting 41 percent from the field (19-46), hit just four of 14 attempts from downtown.
The Eagles will return to Bender Arena for the first time since Jan. 21 to take on Lehigh University Feb. 9. The two teams are tied for second place in the Patriot League with both holding 6-2 records in conference play. The game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
