Colgate Subdues M. Hoops, 76-64

The Harvard men’s basketball team improved its shooting performance from last Tuesday’s loss to Boston University, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Colgate Raiders, who defeated the Crimson 76-64 on Saturday afternoon at Lavietes Pavillion.

It was Colgate’s fourth-straight win over Harvard.

Harvard (4-3, 0-0 Ivy) was able to improve its field-goal percentage to 47.4 percent—much higher than the 27 percent effort against B.U.—but the Crimson never got closer than five points in the second half, as Colgate (5-2, 0-0 Patriot) held off a late Crimson run.

The Raiders broke Harvard’s five-game home winning streak that dated back to last season.

“Colgate established the rhythm and had good ball movement,” said Coach Frank Sullivan. “We had no stops or steals,”

The Raiders had four players score in double figures.

The Crimson’s strongest threat came with 6:01 left in the game, when captain Drew Gellert made two free throws off a foul by Colgate’s Howard Blue, capping a 12-4 Harvard run that closed the gap to six points, 57-51.

But after Pat Campolieta made a jumper to put the Raiders up eight, Colgate’s Dave Hardy stole the ball from Gellert who then committed a blocking foul.

Hardy made both from the charity stripe, and the Crimson’s comeback bid was halted.

For the second straight week, turnovers plagued the Harvard offense. The Crimson coughed the ball up a total of 17 times. Many of those turnovers, including the Gellert foul, led to Colgate scores.

“We gave them too many easy baskets,” said Patrick Harvey, who led the Crimson with 17 points, including 9 from behind the arc.

Harvey has been Harvard’s leading-scorer in every game this season.

“We’ve been sloppy with the ball almost every game,” Sullivan said.

Colgate wasn’t turnover-free either, giving up the ball 14 times, but Harvard never really took advantage.

The Crimson began the second half staying close to the Raiders, but the team got in early foul trouble, amassing five team fouls in five minutes. Harvard found itself in the penalty with 8:54 still remaining in the game and ended with 12 fouls in the half.

About the foul trouble, Sullivan didn’t think it was for lack of effort.

“They tried to be aggressive, but weren’t being fundamental,” he said.

Harvard got away from the three-pointer against Colgate, only attempting 13, many of which came late in the game when the Crimson was down and desperate.

Harvard did capitalize on three treys in the last 3:30, but it was too little, too late.

Harvard’s only leads of the game were 2-0 and 5-4.

Colgate quickly took control of the game with a 19-6 run, bringing the score to 23-11 with 10:14 left in the first half.

For the rest of the first period, the two teams basically traded baskets, and the Raiders took a 36-29 lead into halftime.

Starting forward Sam Winter led the Crimson with six boards, and point-guard Elliot Prasse-Freeman contributed five assists. Gellert scored 11, and center Tim Coleman scored 10 with four boards. Off the bench, Jason Norman scored four points in 15 minutes of action.

The Crimson has now lost two straight after starting the year 4-1.

Its next game is on Wednesday night at New Hampshire. The Wildcats are Harvard’s last non-conference opponent before opening Ivy League play at home against Dartmouth on Saturday.