The men’s basketball quarterfinal game between AU and Colgate University on March 5 seemed like it would be a highly contested matchup. In the first four minutes of the game, the lead between the two teams changed three times and the score was tied three times.
Instead, the crowd in Bender Arena watched as AU dominated Colgate, going on an 18-0 run that lasted for just under 11 minutes and put AU in a position to win the game well before halftime.
Led by its first half defense, AU (18-12, 14,-5, PL) went on to beat Colgate (12-18, 6-13, PL) 59-50.
The Eagles limited the Raiders to 0-of-7 shooting from three-point range in the first half, despite the Raiders being the second-best three-point shooting team in Patriot League.
“We thought we did a good job just guarding the [three-point] line,” Head Coach Mike Brennan said. “[The Raiders] are one of the best offensive teams in the league and they’ve got five guys, or more than that, that can come in and can all bang threes.”
The 18-0 run that put AU up 24-7 with 6:24 to go in the first half was solidified by AU’s ability to rebound the ball after missed Colgate baskets.
“I think the key to that was our rebounding the basketball,” junior guard John Schoof said. “We’ve shown that we can stop teams and get defensive stops when we need to.”
Although the Raiders cut AU’s lead to 15 points before halftime, Colgate’s 15-point first half tied the their lowest first half score this season.
The second half was similar, with AU holding a double-digit lead for the first 16 minutes. However, the tension mounted as Colgate’s offense warmed up in the last few minutes. A free throw by Colgate junior guard Damon Sherman-Newsome with 3:51 to play cut AU’s advantage to single digits for the first time since the 8:28 mark in the first half. Colgate then successfully cut AU’s lead down to seven points with 1:54 left in the game.
Nevertheless, the Eagles braved the Raiders’ full court press and repeated fouls to maintain their lead. A team effort to close out the game, involving senior center Tony Wroblicky dunking the ball twice and freshman guard Charlie Jones stealing the ball and making two free throws in the final 1:47 to secure the win 59-50 win.
Schoof led all scorers with 16 points and on six-of-seven shooting from the field. Wroblicky finished with his eighth double-double of the season, pulling a game-high 10 rebounds and putting up 14 points. Redshirt junior guard Darius Gardner added 12 points to the Eagles’ effort.
Prior to the game, the Patriot League honored Brennan as the Patriot League Coach of the Year honor, Wroblicky for Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year award, and sophomore guard Jesse Reed as Patriot League Scholar Athlete of the Year award.
The Eagles’ victory advances them to the Patriot League Semifinals, where AU will face off against College of the Holy Cross in Bender Arena on March 8.
