Under coach Matt Langel, Colgate has set the recent standard in the Patriot League. The Raiders have won six straight regular-season Patriot League titles and have been to five NCAA tournaments in that span.
Once again, this year, Colgate is looked at as the team to beat in the Patriot. Bucknell is considered one of the challengers in the balanced conference. Bucknell (8-11, 4-2) looks to move into a tie for first place when the Bison visit Colgate (8-11, 5-1) on Monday.
This will be the second game between these two in the past two weeks. On Jan. 5, Bucknell earned a 66-60 home win over Colgate.
Noah Williamson, a 7-foot junior, had 20 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Bucknell effort over Colgate. Sam Wright, a 6-foot-9 sophomore, came off the bench to lead Colgate with 16 points.
Colgate was hurt by poor shooting, going 6-for-22 from three-point range (.273) and 10-of-19 from the foul line (.526). Bucknell was marginally better, and that was the difference. The Bison shot 8-for-22 from deep (.364) and 10-of-15 from the foul line (.667).
That win snapped a nine-game losing streak against Colgate.
Both enter the game on win streaks. Since losing to Bucknell, Colgate has won four in a row following Saturday’s 90-67 win at Lafayette. After losing to American University, 68-58, Bucknell has won two straight home games, beating Holy Cross, 86-82, and Navy on Saturday, 73-69.
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Bucknell at Colgate Betting Odds
Colgate is a 6.5-point college basketball odds favorite on BetMGM against Bucknell with the Over/Under 133.5.
The moneyline for Colgate is -275 while it is +220 for Bucknell.
Bucknell at Colgate On TV
The game between Bucknell and Colgate will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
Tonight’s tipoff is shortly after 7 p.m. ET.
Bucknell at Colgate Prediction
I like Colgate laying the points.
Colgate will be looking for revenge after the earlier regular-season loss to the Bison.
Colgate is second in the Patriot League in scoring defense, allowing 69.5 points per game. The Raiders are fifth in scoring offense (69.7 PPG). A closer look shows that Colgate leads the Patriot in both categories in conference games only. The Raiders are averaging 74.7 points in their six Patriot League games and allowing 61.7 points.
For the season, Bucknell is eighth in the Patriot in scoring offense (69.3) and ninth in scoring defense (73.7). In Patriot League games, Bucknell is fifth in both scoring (68.7) and scoring defense (67.8).
Both teams played competitive non-conference schedules, which is why their statistics are worse overall than just in the Patriot League. For instance, both teams have played Kentucky, with Colgate losing 78-67 on Dec. 5 and Bucknell losing 100-72 on Nov. 9.
Bucknell’s Williamson is fifth in the Patriot in both scoring (15.2) and rebounding (7.1), while 6-foot senior Josh Bascoe averages 15 points and is shooting .377 from deep.
A balanced Colgate team is led in scoring by 6-foot-11 fifth-year forward Jeff Woodward (13.0 PPG) and 6-foot-4 senior Nicolas Louis-Jacques (12.0 PPG).
In 19 games, Bucknell is last in the Patriot in three-point percentage (.311) and second in three-point defense (.328). Colgate is fourth in three-point percentage (.349) and ninth in three-point defense (.353).
Neither Colgate nor Bucknell is a particularly strong free-throw shooting team. Colgate shoots (.697) while Bucknell is at just .646.
Colgate is 5-2 at home and since January, the Raiders are 3-0 at home and have won those games by an average of 18 points. The homecourt advantage plus the revenge factor gives Colgate the edge in this one.
