Preview: Colgate, American Meet in Patriot League Showdown

WASHINGTON (Interstat) — A pivotal Patriot League men’s basketball matchup featuring two teams with identical records and a recent nail-biter in the series is set for Wednesday night at Bender Arena.

The Colgate Raiders (11-8) visit the American Eagles (11-8) in a contest with early conference standing implications. Just two weeks ago on Jan. 7, Colgate edged American 64-62 in Hamilton, New York, setting the stage for a quick rematch.

Both teams enter on winning notes. Colgate is coming off a dominant 95-76 home victory over Bucknell on Saturday, led by a double-double from guard Jalen Cox (13 points, 10 assists). American secured a 78-67 road win at Army on Sunday, powered by a 26-point performance from forward Julen Iturbe.

Cox, Colgate’s dynamic playmaker, has been instrumental. Over his last seven games, he is averaging 16.6 points and 6.0 assists, including a 29-point outing at Lafayette and a 22-point game against Lehigh. In the first meeting against American, however, he was held to just four points, though he contributed five assists.

Iturbe provides a versatile scoring and defensive presence for the Eagles. He is averaging 14.3 points over his last six contests and is coming off one of his best all-around games of the season against Army, adding five rebounds, three assists and two blocks to his 26 points. He was limited to nine points in the loss at Colgate.

The Raiders have won three of their last four games. Beyond Cox, they have found consistent production from Andrew Alekseyenko, who scored 22 points against Bucknell, and Sam Wright, who added 17.

The Eagles have won two straight since their loss to Colgate, including a strong defensive effort in a 65-51 win over Navy. Greg Jones (16 points vs. Army) and Madden Collins (14 points, 8 rebounds vs. Army) offer key support around Iturbe.

With both teams at 11-8 overall and jockeying for position in the Patriot League, Wednesday’s contest offers a chance for American to exact revenge at home or for Colgate to secure a critical season sweep.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST.