Colgate Raiders (25-8) vs Lafayette Leopards (10-22)
Game Info: Wednesday, March 8, 2023 at 7:30 pm (Cotterell Court)
Betting Odds: Colgate Raiders -13 -- Over/Under: 136 Click Here for the Latest Odds
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The Colgate Raiders will host the Lafayette Leopards in the Patriot League Championship Final at Cotterell Court on CBSSN. Colgate leads the all-time series, 55-52, after winning five straight meetings.
Lafayette moved to 11-22 after defeating American in the semifinals. The Leopards battled with the Eagles into double overtime, and they’d escape with an eight-point win, 84-76. Lafayette is scoring 63.4 points per game, while allowing 65.2 ppg, and shooting 41% from the field.
Lafayette upset nearby rival Lehigh in the first round, and they’ll now look to replicate that result here with regular season conference winner Colgate. Senior forward Leo O’Boyle scored a team-high 23 points in the double-OT win over American, and he leads the team in scoring at 11.7 ppg. Freshman forward Josh Rivera has been a bright spot down the stretch, and after scoring a team-high 24 points in the win over Lehigh, he’s up to 10.5 ppg and a team-lead 5.2 rpg.
Colgate improved to 25-8 after beating Army in the semifinals. The Raiders led the Black Knights big at the break, and they’d ended up winning by seventeen, 91-74. Colgate is scoring 78.6 points per game, while allowing 69.2 ppg, and shooting 51.2% from the floor.
Colgate has been on a tear since Christmas break, and after winning 18 of their last 19 games, they'll look to beat Lafayette for a third time en route to the Patriot League crown. Fifth-year senior Tucker Richardson has arguably been the best player in the conference, and after double-doubling in the first two tournament wins over Loyola and Army, he's posting a nice, well-rounded line of 13.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg, and 5.6 apg. Senior forward Keegan Records scored a team-high 20 points last time out versus the Black Knights, and he leads Colgate in rebounding (6.0), while scoring 12.8 ppg.
Lafayette is 20-13 against the spread this season, with a 17-16 over/under record. Colgate is 16-16 ATS this year, with a 19-13 o/u record.
Colgate has passed every test this season, and after coming this far I believe they complete the mission. The Raiders have the privilege of hosting the conference final, so there will be no shot of upset alert here. Colgate has been the best team in the conference, and it should simply come down to a matter of how much. Roll with the Raiders to punch their ticket to the Dance and cover in the Patriot League Championship.
Corey’s Pick Colgate -13
AUTHOR: Corey Ghee
Mitch's Take...
