Game Preview: Penn State vs. Colgate
Logan Dolby, Jeremy Gaines and Andre Magarro preview Penn State vs. Colgate:
The Colgate Raiders (7-3) travel to Happy Valley to take on the Penn State Nittany Lions (4-4, 0-2) at the Bryce Jordan Center, tipping off at 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon.
Last year, Colgate finished 19-14, 12-6 in the Patriot League right behind the Bucknell Bison for first place. This season, the Raiders have gotten off to a nice start to the season with a 7-3 record, and wins over Florida Gulf Coast and Columbia in their last two games on the road.
The Raiders will need sophomore guard Jordan Burns to continue to put the ball in the basket for Colgate to have a chance. Burns is averaging 17 points per game on 47 percent shooting and 41 percent from three. The forward combination of Rapolas Invanauskas and Will Rayman also have been important to the Raiders. Both are averaging double figures in points and have to be a presence in the paint on Saturday.
In the Raiders last game against Columbia, they got up to a 36-23 halftime lead behind the play of Burns. However, Columbia stormed back in the second half to take a 62-61 lead with under two minutes to play. Colgate senior guard and leader off the bench, Francisco Amiel, hit a 3-point jump shot from the top of the key with just under 1:45 to lift the Raiders to a 64-62 win.
The win is the Raiders first win at Columbia since the 1964-65 season, and the first time they have beaten Columbia in back-to-back seasons since 1960 and 1961. History was made for Colgate in the win, and they hope to continue to stay on a hot streak vs. the Nittany Lions.
Meanwhile, the Nittany Lions are just trying to get in the win column. After the upset win against Virginia Tech last Tuesday, Penn State has struggled with back-to-back losses to Maryland and Indiana.
In Tuesday’s contest against Indiana, Penn State shot the ball from everywhere on the court horrifically bad. Penn State as a team shot 37.1 percent from the field and 11 of 26 from the foul line. Rasir Bolton led the team with 17 points, but it wasn’t enough in the end as Indiana held on to a 64-62 win.
Look for Penn State in this game to go to the post more often. The Nittany Lions have to get center Mike Watkins going, and he will have the opportunity to do so against an undersized Colgate squad. Also, Penn State has to knock down the 3-point shot in this game to be successful. The Nittany Lions shot 5 of 21 from three with only two guys making more than one of them.
Penn State desperately needs a win before the schedule gets much tougher. Pat Chambers knows a loss here would put the Nittany Lions in a tough spot, so expect the Nittany Lions to get out to a hot start, and shut down the Raiders three leading scorers.
Final Score: Penn State 78, Colgate 62
Matthew McClure is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact, email mcm5964@psu.edu.