HAMILTON, N.Y. - Lafayette's chase for the Patriot League title came up just short, as top-seeded Colgate knocked off the Leopards in the Patriot League Tournament Championship game, 79-61, on Wednesday evening.

The nationally-televised matchup at a sold-out Cotterell Court was the Leopards' first championship game appearance since winning the title in 2015. Colgate has won three championships over the past four years.

Lafayette secured two Patriot League All-Tournament Team selections in senior captain Leo O'Boyle and freshman Josh Rivera. Rivera, who finished with a team-high 13 points totaled 339 points, 160 rebounds and 46 assists in his rookie campaign. O'Boyle, who had nine points on the night, became the 48^th Leopard to surpass the 1,000 career-point milestone, finishing his time on College Hill with 1,018 points, 304 rebounds and 146 assists.

The Raiders took the first lead of the contest, 11-6 at 13:18, with Jeff Woodward pacing the stretch with four points. Five points from Colgate big man Keegan Records extended that advantage to 23-10 down to the eight-minute mark. Justin Vander Baan picked up his second foul, and an already thin Leopard lineup hampered by injuries struggled to defend the pick and roll for the remainder of the half.

Trailing 28-17, Lafayette cut into the Colgate lead with four points from Rivera and a 3-pointer by Eric Sondberg at 6:38. Colgate continued to keep the Leopards at bay and led by 17 at halftime despite a last-second, halfcourt shot from Rivera that hit the rim.

The Raiders opened the second half with a 7-5 stretch to the 16-minute mark for a 48-29 advantage. Rivera and Records led their respective teams with three points each.

Colgate stretched its lead to 20 over the next five minutes, leading 60-40 by 10:05 and on to a 79-61 final. For Colgate, Patriot League Tournament MVP Tucker Richardson had a triple-double with 14 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists.

For the game, the Raiders limited the Lafayette offense to 16 percent overall from 3-point range, a stark contrast from Lafayette's 52 percent perimeter shooting effort in the semifinal. Rivera and Devin Hines led the program's final moments of the 2022-23 season with four points apiece. Lafayette held the advantage in rebounds 40-38, including a 14-1 margin on the offensive glass.  

The Leopards concluded the season with an 11-23 overall record, 7-11 in conference play. 


For the latest on the Lafayette College men's basketball program, follow the Leopards on Twitter @LafayetteMBB and Instagram @lafayettembb.