Did the Number 13 Play a Role in Colgate’s Big Win Sunday?

Colgate's Jordan Burns became red hot from beyond the 3-point line in the second half on Sunday, as Colgate defeated Loyola 85-72,  to win the Patriot League Championship for the second time in three years.

The lead was only five-points for Colgate at the half, and Loyola came to within three in the first seconds of the second. Colgate's defense stepped up, however, and senior Jordan Burns started hitting 3-point shots as the Raiders pulled away and never looked back.

Burns ended up with 17-points, Tucker Richardson had 17-points with 15 coming early in the game, and Nelly Cummings scored 10 in the second half. Overall, Colgate scored 14 three-point shots and five players were in double figures. Burns, a senior, will head to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in his college career, and has played in the Patriot League Championship game during his entire four-years at Colgate. Colgate played in the "Big Dance" in 2019 in Columbus, Ohio.

"This is as unified a group as I have ever been around," said head coach Matt Langel. "They just keep coming back for more," he told CBS Sports. "I know they'll be ready to go," he said.

Colgate, The Coveted Number 13, and Sunday's Victory

The number 13 is held sacred at Colgate, dating back to its inception in 1817, when 13 founders gathered with 13 prayers and 13 dollars to create what is now known as Colgate University, according to the college's website.

"To this day, the number 13 is at the center of Colgate’s identity. It’s in our zip code, in our address, and is the number of letters in our motto, Deo ac Veritati. Colgate Day, which comes around every Friday the 13th, is celebrated by the university community worldwide."

Adding to the mystery of the superstition, many Colgate milestones over the years have included 13, and Sunday's big win over Loyola is no exception. Keeping the tradition of "13" alive, Sunday's win by the Raiders was their 13th straight victory, and in order to make it even more interesting, they actually won the game by 13-points. The win gives Colgate their Patriot League automatic bid into next week's NCAA Tournament.

According to Coach Langel, the team will fly out on a chartered jet on Sunday night to Indianapolis, where all students will be tested and they'll begin their quarantine in a hotel to prepare for their upcoming game later this week. Their opponent and game-time will be determined during Sunday night's selection show on CBS.