In a high-scoring affair, Columbia lost 102-85 to Cornell Monday afternoon, dropping its last home game for the next month.
Columbia (6-14, 1-4 Ivy) jumped out to a strong start with a 7-2 run before Cornell (14-4, 4-1) went on a 7-0 run of its own to tie the game at 9-9. Sophomore forward Robbie Stankard hit a three to give the Lions a 10-9 lead, their last advantage of the game.
The Big Red went on a 16-1 run taking a 25-11 lead midway through the first half, but Columbia wasn’t done yet. The Lions closed the gap to four entering the half thanks to a deep buzzer-beating three-pointer from first-year guard Avery Brown to make the score 42-38.
The second half was all Cornell. The visitors opened the quarter with back-to-back treys from junior forwards Sean Hansen and Keller Boothby. Cornell opened the quarter with a 15-3 run to give them a 57-41 lead. The Big Red led by as many as 24 at one point before the buzzer sounded.
The Lions struggled to stay out of foul trouble committing 25 and allowing Cornell to enter the double bonus in both halves. Junior forward Josh Odunowo fouled out while sophomore guard Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa committed four fouls. Cornell’s aggressive defense caused problems for the Lions as the Big Red remained in the full-court press for most of the game. The Lions turned the ball over 22 times compared to Cornell’s 12.
Cornell showed why it’s first in the Ivy League in points per game and assists, breaking the century mark for the third time this season. The team drained 12 shots from deep and shot 50.8% from the field off 31-for-61 shooting. At the line, the visitors made the Lions pay for their many fouls, shooting 28-for-33 from the charity stripe. Six Cornell players scored in double-digits, with Brian Earl’s squad dishing 22 assists.
Columbia must now prepare for a five-game away stretch against Brown, Dartmouth, Penn, Princeton and Yale before returning home to host Harvard on February 17.