BOSTON –  In a rematch of last year's Patriot League title game, the defending champion Boston University men's basketball team fell to Colgate, 86-79, Saturday night at Case Gym.
 
The Raiders (2-1, 2-1 PL) got out to an 11-point halftime lead by shooting 60.7 percent from the field and fended off several second-half runs by the Terriers (1-2, 1-2 PL) to hold on for the seven-point victory. 
 
Making his season debut, junior and preseason All-PL member Walter Whyte led BU with 15 points and 11 rebounds for his 11th career double-double, while both seniors Javante McCoy (16 pts.) and Sukhmail Mathon (13 pts.) scored in double figures for the third straight game. 
 
PL Preseason Player of the Year Jordan Burns keyed the Raiders' offense with 22 of his 26 points in the first half, while Keegan Records hauled in a team-high 10 rebounds alongside seven points. Both Tucker Richardson and Nelly Cummings tallied 14 points apiece, as Colgate finished with a 10-7 advantage in made 3-pointers and 18-12 lead in free throws. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Whyte slammed home an offensive rebound to cut Colgate's early lead to 10-6 with 16:45 to go in the first half for his first bucket of the season.
• Burns flushed his third 3-pointer at 16:02 to reach double figures (11 pts.) and later added a layup for the 18-11 advantage at 14:41.
• The Terriers would chip away at the deficit and eventually pulled within two (28-26) at 9:41 on a layup and bonus free throw.
• Freshman Anthony Morales' layup tied the game at 33 with 6:23 to play in the first half, but Oliver Lynch-Daniels put Colgate ahead for good at 5:42 with a free throw.
• Finishing on a 12-2 run, Colgate used Cummings' layup at the buzzer to enter the locker room ahead, 53-42.
• Junior Fletcher Tynen's bucket and free throw cut the Raider's lead to 57-48 at 15:33, but Colgate responded with a 14-4 run capped by Jack Ferguson's 3-pointer at 11:06.
• Down by as many as 18, BU moved within 11 (80-69) on sophomore Ethan Brittain-Watt's trey with 4:36 remaining.
• Trying to mount a rally, the Terriers scored nine of the game's final 11 points over the last 3:30 but ran out of time for the seven-point defeat. 

GAME NOTES

• Whyte extended his streak of games with double-figure points to 13 contests dating back to last season.
• Whyte has earned three double-doubles in the last four games, coming up one board shy in the PL title win at Colgate last March.
• McCoy moved to No. 28 all-time in the BU record book with 1,111 points, just 18 shy of No. 26 and BU Hall of Famer Gary Plummer ('84).
• Posting 11 points, Tate went a perfect 3-of-3 from behind the arc and is now 8-of-11 (.727) for the season.
• Tynen recorded a career-high seven rebounds while adding six points.
• Freshman Caelan Jones made his debut with four minutes of playing time.
• BU did a much better job defensively in the second half, holding the Raiders to 38.7 percent shooting (12-of-31) and just three 3-pointers on 14 attempts after Colgate went 7-of-13 in the first.
• BU had a big advantage in offensive rebounds (15-3) and second-chance points (20-2).
• BU committed 12 turnovers and Colgate took full advantage, earning an 18-2 advantage in points off turnovers.  

NEXT UP

• BU and Colgate will be back at it again on Sunday (Jan. 10) at Case Gym with the CBS Sports Network broadcast slated for 6 p.m.
• The Raiders will be seeking their fourth straight win at The Roof.