Waterville, MAINE- Colby hosted the Bates Bobcats from Lewiston, Maine, yesterday, January 28th. In their last match up the Mules won in a close battle, 76-72. Going into this game Colby had just beaten their rival Bowdoin College and looked to do the same to their other primary rival. The starting five for the Mules featured Kyle Butler and Matt Hanna in the back and Noah Tyson, Alec McGovern, and Jack Lawson filling out the front court. Last night was also senior night for the team, thus much appreciation was shown to the only senior on the roster, Matt Hanna.  Colby won this matchup easily, 79-63. 

Hanna took Senior Night as an opportunity to control the game, completely taking over the first half. In only 18 minutes of play Matt Hanna was able to score 20 points on 11 shots (seven of which were three pointers), collect a block, a steal, an assist, and two rebounds, accounting for nearly half of the Mules first half points (45). This excellent individual performance along with spectacular shooting from the rest of the team (53.1% and 46.7% from three) left Bates no potential to stay in the game. At the end of the half Colby led 45-35.

In the second half Hanna cooled off, but the team took fire. The Mules shot 57.1% from three during the half, propelling them to 34 second half points and a home victory. Colby also forced their way to the line and shot efficiently once there, hitting eight of ten free throws in the second. Noah Tyson had a great half, shooting 2-2 from beyond the arc and collecting eight points. The Mules reached their largest lead of the night (18) with 3:32 seconds left in the game, closing the door on any potential comeback.

The performance of Matt Hanna coupled with spectacular shooting from beyond the arc made it practically impossible for the Bobcats to win, just how Coach Strahorn likes it. Matt Hanna finished with 25 points, 5 rebounds, three assists, a block, and two steals. Hanna played spectacularly when all eyes were on him, indicating both his ability and desire to perform. Noah Tyson also played well, tallying a very efficient 16 points on nine shots and five threes. He also had a terrific defensive game with four steals. Jonah Obi gave the bench a spark, nearly recording a double double with nine points and seven rebounds. He also led the team in assists with four. 

Colby has a lot to be proud of from this performance and their last, beating their two largest rivals in back to back conference games. The Mules will look to keep the good times rolling when they travel to Hartford Connecticut to take on the Trinity College Bantams on Tuesday, February 1st, at 7:00 PM.