No. 1 Colgate Punches Ticket to NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament
Raiders clinch a tournament berth for the first time since 1996
HAMILTON, N.Y. - Colgate sophomore guard Jordan Burns broke the Patriot League Championship Game scoring record with 35 points to lead No. 1 Colgate over No. 2 Bucknell, 94-80, in the 2019 Patriot League Men's Basketball Championship Game at Cotterell Court. The Raiders earn the League's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history and the first time since 1996.
Burns connected on 10-of-16 attempts from the field and 6-of-9 from beyond the arc to capture Patriot League Men's Basketball Championship Most Valuable Player honors. The San Antonio, Texas native also added two rebounds and six assists. Junior forward Will Rayman finished with 18 points and seven rebounds while junior forward Rapolas Ivanauskas, the Patriot League Player of the Year, added 14 points and seven rebounds. All three Raiders were named to the all-Tournament team.
Bucknell senior guard Kimbal Mackenzie scored 16 of his 23 points in the second half and senior forward Nate Sestina finished with 21 points and five rebounds to lead the Bison. Both Mackenzie and Sestina were selected to the all-Tournament team.
Colgate will learn their NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament fate on Sunday, March 17 during the NCAA Tournament Selection Show at 6 p.m. ET on CBS.
2019 Patriot League Men's Basketball Tournament Most Valuable Player
Jordan Burns, Colgate, So., G
2019 Patriot League Men's Basketball All-Tournament Team
Kimbal Mackenzie, Bucknell, Sr., G
Nate Sestina, Bucknell, Sr., F
Rapolas Ivanauskas, Colgate, Jr., F
Will Rayman, Colgate, Jr., F
Jordan Burns, Colgate, So., G
2019 PATRIOT LEAGUE MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
AT NO. 1 COLGATE RAIDERS (24-10, NET: 135) 94 , NO. 2 BUCKNELL BISON (21-12, NET: 151) 80
Cotterell Court/Hamilton, N.Y. 7:30 p.m. (CBSSN)
BOX SCORE
HAMILTON, N.Y. - Colgate sophomore guard Jordan Burns scored a Patriot League Championship Game record 35 points on 10-of-16 shooting to lead No. 1 Colgate to a 94-80 victory over No. 2 Bucknell at Cotterell Court.
*Burns broke the 21-year old championship game scoring record of 31 set by Lafayette's Brian Ehlers in 1998.
*The Raiders clinched a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1996 after finishing the season with a school record 15-1 home mark. Colgate earned trips to the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons behind Adonal Foyle, who went on to a 10-year NBA career.
*Colgate shot 75 percent (6-for-8) from 3-point range in the second half and 57.7 percent (12-for-21) for the game.
*Burns, Ivanauskas and Rayman combined for 35 points in the first half to help the Raiders take a 43-30 lead into the break.
*Mackenzie scored 16 of his 23 during an 18-7 Bucknell run to close the gap to two points, at 50-48, in the first five minutes of the second half.
*Sestina finished with 21 points and five rebounds and junior guard Avi Toomer added 10 points, four rebounds and three assists.
FOR MORE INFORMATION READ THE BUCKNELL MEN'S BASKETBALL RECAP
FOR MORE INFORMATION READ THE COLGATE MEN'S BASKETBALL RECAP
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its third decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League's athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.