THE BASICS:

• Score:  Holy Cross 65, Colgate 63
• Records: Holy Cross 7-7, 2-1 PL; Colgate 6-8, 2-1 PL
• Location: Hart Center, Worcester, Mass.
• Date: January 6, 2016
• The Lead: Freshman forward Karl Charles posted career highs of 21 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots, as the Holy Cross men's basketball team recorded a 65-63 victory over Colgate at the Hart Center.

 HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Colgate held a 32-20 lead early in the second half, before Holy Cross used a quick 9-2 run to work its way back into the game.
• The Crusaders were still down by six (46-40) with 10:38 remaining, when they scored eight straight points to take their first lead of the night.
• Senior guard Cullen Hamilton scored five of Holy Cross' points during that spurt.
• The score would stay close for the next few minutes, and the game was tied at 55-55 with 5:18 left to play.
• A pair of free throws by Charles then gave the Crusaders the lead for good, before layups by junior forward Malachi Alexander and Hamilton made the score 61-55.
• The Raiders hit a pair of late three-pointers to keep the score close, but Holy Cross made four of six free throws in the final 30 seconds to hold on for the win.
• Colgate had led by as many as 11 points in the first half, and held a 29-20 advantage at the break.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Charles hit four of seven field goal attempts and 10 of 11 free throws on the night, in addition to recording five assists and three steals.
• Hamilton finished with 20 points, four rebounds and four assists, while scoring 18 of his points in the game's final 17 minutes.
• Alexander added nine points, four rebounds and three assists, while junior guard Robert Champion totaled eight points, eight rebounds and four assists.
• The Raiders were led by Austin Tillotson with 18 points, eight assists and six rebounds.
• Holy Cross shot 43.5 percent from the field (20 of 46), including a 66.7 percent clip in the second half (14 of 21).
• Colgate connected on just 36.7 percent of its shots from the field (22 of 60).

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:

• The Crusaders have won two straight and five of their last six against Colgate.
• Charles and Hamilton gave Holy Cross two 20-point scorers in the same game for the first time since they had three players hit the 20-point mark on Nov. 13, 2013, against Sacred Heart (Hamilton 35, Alexander 23, Dave Dudzinski 26).

UP NEXT:

• The Crusaders return to action on Saturday, Jan. 9, when they travel to Bucknell for a 2:00 p.m. game.

BE PART OF THE ACTION:

• Single-game tickets and mini plans to see the Crusaders are on sale now. Make sure you don't miss the opportunity to see the best collegiate basketball in Central Massachusetts! Tickets for Holy Cross basketball can be purchased online at GoHolyCross.com/tickets or over the phone by calling 1-844-GOCROSS.

KEEP CONNECTED:

• To stay updated on the Holy Cross men's basketball team, follow the Crusaders on Twitter @HCrossMBB and on Facebook at HolyCrossBasketball.
• You can also subscribe for email alerts for all news and information on the team by clicking here.