HAMILTON, NY -- Six American players were in double figures, paced by Glenn Stokes' 15 points, as American defeated Colgate, 76-59, here in the Eagles' first-ever Patriot League game. With the victory, American also tied its win total for the 2001-02 season.
American (7-7, 1-0 PL) held a four-point advantage with 12:48 to play in the first half, and led by six (17-11) with 11:09 remaining. A layup by Keith Gray, with 29 seconds to play in the opening period, gave the Eagles a seven-point lead, but Jeremy Ballard tossed in a deep three at the buzzer to help Colgate (8-5, 0-1, PL) get back within four heading into the lockerroom.
The second half opened with an Eagle barrage, as American scored 13 of the first 16 points, helping it to a 14-point cushion just six minutes in. Stokes and Vladimir Buscaglia each knocked down three-pointers, and Steven Miles and Andres Rodriguez converted driving layups during the run.
Colgate whittled the Eagle advantage back to 10 with 7:26 to play, but American closed out the game with a quick 8-0 run over the next two minutes to seal the win.
American dominated the boards, outrebounding the Raiders, 40-21. American also shot 50.9 percent (27-of-53) from the floor, and went seven-of-19 from three-point range.
The win was the first road conference victory for the Eagles since Jan. 27, 1999, when they defeated William & Mary, 68-65, in Williamsburg, VA. American is also enjoying its first three-game winning streak since the early portion of the 1998-99 campaign, when it defeated Howard, Catholic, and Western Maryland in succession.
Miles and Buscaglia added 12 points each, while Nick Boyd, Keith Gray, and Patrick Doctor had 10 apiece.
Dave Hardy led Colgate with 15 points, while Pat Campolieta added 12 and three assists.
American returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 12, when it hosts Army in its first-ever Patriot League home game. Tipoff is slated for 1:00 p.m. in Bender Arena. That begins a three-game homestand for the Eagles, as they host Lafayette on Wednesday, Jan. 16, and Bucknell on Jan. 19.
