This past Thursday, the Bison men’s basketball team faced top-seeded Colgate in the Patriot League Tournament quarterfinals. This tough loss came right after a thrilling overtime game against Lafayette that secured their spot in the tournament. The Bison ultimately fell to the Raiders 96-68 in the quarterfinal game, an abrupt end to their 2022 season. 

Despite the loss, Xander Rice ’23 and Andrew Funk ’22 put forth particularly strong efforts throughout the game. Rice recorded 17 points and six assists, and Funk added 13 points and seven assists of his own. Alex Timmerman ’23 and Jake van der Heijden ’23 added points on the day as well. 

However, the Raiders were stronger offensively, shooting 61.3 percent in the first half. The Orange and Blue finished 12 for 26, and were unable to keep up with the Raiders’ offensive showing. Colgate is set to face fourth-seeded Lehigh in their semi-final matchup. 

Head coach Nathan Davis spoke on the Orange and Blue’s performance, and credited Colgate for their strong performance. Davis explained that the Raiders veteran coaching and players were outstanding and are in a good position heading into the rest of the tournament. Even though the Bison’s record was not what they were hoping for, Davis said the team certainly improved over the course of the season which they will look to further build on in the offseason. 

The game also marked an end to Funk’s outstanding career with 1,230 points – putting him 21st on the Bison’s all-time scoring list. Even with a limited junior year amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Funk was able to achieve several remarkable milestones. He has also recorded 190 three-pointers over the course of his career, tying him for seventh-most in the history of Bison basketball. Funk tallied 564 points this season alone, the eighth most in history for the Orange and Blue.