Columbia Lions (CH2K6)

[TimmeH]

Re: Columbia Lions (CH2K6)

Columbia Loses Another Heartbreaker

Army 92, Columbia 86

It took two extra periods, but when it was all over, Army had handed Columbia there third straight loss.

Army and Columbia went back and forth for the first 35 minutes as neither team really could get a grasp on the game. Then Army took advantage of a few Columbia turnovers to pull ahead, at one point late in the second half leading as many as 11 points.

With 51 seconds left and Columbia trailing by seven, Columbia point guard Brett Loscalzo found teammate Dalen Cuff wide open for a three to cut the lead to four. That was just the start of Cuff's heroics.

On Army's following possession, Cuff stole the ball from Army guard Jarrell Brown and went the distance of the court slamming the ball down to make it a two point game.

Time forced Columbia to foul and send Army's Matt Bell to the line to attempt to put the Lions away. Bell went eight for nine from the line on this night, but that one miss came during this trip to the line, giving Columbia a hope of victory.

Columbia got the ball to Cuff. They attempted to free Cuff on a pick n roll, but failed. With time running, Cuff had no choice other than to put it up with two defenders in his face, and he drained it with 0.6 seconds left to send it into OT.

The first OT went alot like most of the game, with the two teams going back and forth. With 32 seconds left, Kravic tied the game up. On the following in bounds, Kravic came up with the steal as Columbia pressed Army. Columbia held onto the ball hoping for the last shot, but with three seconds left, Bell forced Loscalzo into an errant pass and the game into a second overtime.

Columbia jumped out to a quick five point lead in the second overtime, and looked like they had finally taken hold of the game. However, Army clawed it's way back with big shot after big shot from Bell. And with Columbia trailing late, Cuff's magic had wore off and Army put the game away from the line.

Columbia falls to 3-3 on the season after opening the season 3-0. Cuff finished with a season-high 23 points after only having six points during the first 39 minutes of the game. Baumann had his third straight double-double, Loscalzo his second.

Columbia travels to 0-3 Wagner next, hoping to put a halt to their current skid.

Team Stats

Army-Columbia
Points: 92-86
FGM: 31-38
FGA: 63-83
FG%: 49-46
3PM: 8-5
3PA: 19-14
3P%: 42-36
FTM: 22-5
FTA: 27-5
FT%: 82-100
AST: 23-21
TO: 11-8
Fouls: 3-20
REB: 33-39
OREB: 2-7
STL: 4-10
BLK: 5-1
Paint: 26-42
Bench: 31-0
2nd chance-4-9
Fast Break: 8-10

Individual Stats

Columbia
Cuff: 23 pts, 7 reb, 4 ast, 4 stl, 9-16 fg, 5-7 3p
Baumann: 23 pts, 12 reb, 4 TO, 10-14 fg
Montgomery: 18 pts, 7 reb, 9-16 fg
Loscalzo: 12 pts, 10 ast, 5-18 fg
Kravic: 10 pts, 8 reb, 2 stl

Army
Bell: 26 pts, 5 ast, 8-9 ft
Brown: 21 pts, 5-12 3p
Harris: 14 pts, 6 reb
Sewell: 8 pts, 7 reb, 5 blk
Bates: 8 pts, 5 reb
Jackson: 7 pts, 6 reb, 12 ast
Sinning: 6 pts, 5 reb, 2 stl

Player of the Game: SG Matt Bell, Army

Up Next: 12/6 @ Wagner(0-3)

[TimmeH]

Re: Columbia Lions (CH2K6)

Lions Feast On Seahawks

Columbia 85, Wagner 52

After two straight losses that came down to the wire, Coach Lennon knew it was only a matter of time before his team broke out of it's three game skid. Wagner was just the team needed to break out of that slump.

Columbia finally looked like the same team that ran away with the Cougar Classic as they blew away Wagner by 33.

Wagner shot only 17 percent in the first half, and they headed into the locker room at halftime down 17 points.

It would only get worse from there. Columbia shot 78 percent from the field in the second half, and at one point lead by as many as 40 points. Wagner chipped away late, but it was too late for any kind of comeback.

Dalen Cuff led the way tonight, scoring a career-high 30 points on 11 for 16 shooting, including 8 for 11 from three point range. Everytime Cuff got the smallest opening, he hit his shot. Baumann added 12 points and 13 rebounds to record his fourth straight double-double.

Nwachukwu added eight points off the bench, as the backups finally showed signs of life tonight. They gave Columbia 20 points, after being outscored in their last game 31-0 by the Army's second-stringers.

Forward James Ulrich was the only bright spot for the Seahawks offense, which couldn't get things going tonight. Ulrich scored 15 points on 6 for 11 shooting, and also added five rebounds and four assists.

Columbia now finishes the season 3-1 against the Northeast Conference, with it's only loss coming to Sacred Heart. Next on the Lions schedule is a visit from Lafayette on Saturday. Lafayette is 0-7 on the season. It'll be Columbia's last chance to fine-tune their team before heading on a roadtrip to #10 Notre Dame and #25 St. Johns.

Team Stats

Columbia-Wagner
Points: 85-52
FGM: 37-19
FGA: 55-63
FG%: 67-30
3PM: 9-6
3PA: 15-18
3P%: 60-33
FTM: 2-8
FTA: 2-11
FT%: 100-73
AST: 30-15
TO: 6-6
Fouls: 11-5
REB: 31-23
OREB: 1-8
STL: 6-6
BLK: 3-1
Paint: 34-14
Bench: 20-9
2nd Chance: 2-4
Fast Break: 4-8

Individual Stats

Columbia
Cuff: 30 pts, 5 ast, 11-16 fg, 8-11 3p
Kravic: 12 pts, 4 reb, 5 ast, 6-9 fg
Baumann: 12 pts, 13 reb, 5-8 fg
Montgomery: 9 pts, 2 blk, 4-6 fg
Nwachukwu: 8 pts, 4 reb, 4-5 fg
Bova: 4 pts, 4 reb, 2 stl
Loscalzo: 2 pts, 12 ast, 2 stl

Wagner
Ulrich: 15 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast, 6-11 fg
Vitale: 12 pts, 5-21 fg
Vinson: 12 pts, 6 reb, 5-6 fg
Porter: 4 pts, 4 reb, 1-8 fg
McLemore: 0 pts, 7 ast, 2 stl

Player of the Game: SG Dalen Cuff, Columbia

Up Next: 12/10 v. Lafayette(0-7)

[TimmeH]

Re: Columbia Lions (CH2K6)

Kravic Leads Columbia Victory

Lafayette 56, Columbia 71

Columbia entered Saturday's contest expecting to walk all over the winless Leopards, but they got a fight from Lafayette early on.

Lafayette's defense held Columbia to just 1-13 shooting to start the game. The only thing keeping the game close was Lions forward Dragutin Kravic's ability to get to the line. But the Leopards could only contain one of the nation's best shooting teams for so long.

Kravic got Columbia back on their feet with his season high 27 points, shooting 11-18 from the field. Loscalzo chipped in 13 in the Lions winning effort.

Lafayette did not help themselves in the second half. The Leopards took many rushed jumpshots which led to the Lions going on big run after big run in the second half. Lafayette guard Marcus Harley took the majority of those rushed jumpshots, as evidence by his 2-12 shooting performance, including only 1-5 from behind the arc.

Columbia did recieve a scare in the first half when star sophomore John Baumann hit the floor hard and needed help getting back up. Baumann would miss a large part of the first half with a hip pointer. Trainers believe he will be 100% for the team's next contest.

The Lions now have almost a full two weeks off before heading to South Bend to face the #17 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. It will be Columbia's toughest challenge of the season.

Team Stats

Lafayette-Columbia
Points: 56-71
FGM: 23-30
FGA: 61-60
FG%: 38-50
3PM: 5-5
3PA: 19-14
3P%: 26-36
FTM: 5-6
FTA: 7-8
FT%: 71-75
AST: 18-16
TO: 9-7
Fouls: 8-7
REB: 28-32
OREB: 4-5
STL: 7-9
BLK: 2-4
Paint: 24-28
Bench: 15-11
2nd chance: 0-2
Fast Break: 14-8

Individual Stats

Columbia
Kravic: 27 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast, blk, stl, 11-18 fg, 2-4 3p
Loscalzo: 13 pts, 4 ast, 2 stl
Baumann: 8 pts, 8 reb
Cuff: 7 pts, 3 reb
Montgomery: 5 pts, 4 reb, 2 blk
Barrett: 4 pts, 4 reb
Bova: 2 pts, 4 reb

Lafayette
Abdullah: 12 pts
Brown: 11 pts, 5 ast, 2 stl
Betley: 9 pts, 12 reb
Hilliard: 8 pts
Leszczynski: 7 pts
Harley: 5 pts, 2 stl, 2-12 fg, 1-5 3p

Player of the Game: PF Dragutin Kravic, Columbia

Up Next: 12/23 @ #17 Notre Dame(6-1)

[TimmeH]

Re: Columbia Lions (CH2K6)

Cuff Leads Upset In South Bend

Columbia 83, Notre Dame 63

In a game where nobody game Columbia a chance, the Lions came out shooting. Columbia dropped the #17 Fighting Irish in a rout, winning 83-63.

The game started out with each team's star going back and forth. Notre Dame's big forward Rick Cornett looked way too powerful for the Columbia big men. Cornett didn't miss a shot the entire game, often dunking over Columbia defenders.

But for every dunk Cornett threw down, Columbia guard Dalen Cuff countered with a three pointer of his own. Cuff went off in this game, hitting 12 of 16 from the field, including 9 of 12 from three point range, to finish the game with a career high 33 points.

Cornett and Cuff traded shots for the first few minutes of the contest as the two teams battled back and forth, but as the first half wore on, Notre Dame seemed to forget about their big man, leading to turnovers and missed shots.

Columbia, on the other hand, didn't forget about Cuff. Cuff ended up finishing the first half shooting nine-for-nine, with seven of those coming from three point range, to give him 25 first half points as the Lions went into the locker room with a 48-31 lead.

Notre Dame chipped away slowly at the lead in the second half, at one point getting it down to 12. But then Columbia went on an 11-0 that buried the Irish for good.

"I knew if we had any chance tonight, we were gonna have to nail all our shots, force turnovers, and get lucky," said Columbia head coach Timmy Lennon.

"Fortunately for us, all three happened tonight."

It wasn't necessarily field goal shooting or turnovers that played the determining role in this game, however. Notre Dame and Columbia had nearly identical field goal percentages and turnovers, the difference came behind the arc. Columbia hit ten more three pointers than it's opponent, and it was the difference in the end.

Columbia will head to #8 St. Johns next Tuesday for the start of the Mutual Funds Holiday Invitational.

Team Stats

Columbia-Notre Dame
Points: 83-63
FGM: 33-28
FGA: 59-52
FG%: 56-54
3PM: 14-4
3PA: 22-9
3P%: 64-44
FTM: 3-3
FTA: 4-5
FT%: 75-60
AST: 25-24
TO: 7-8
Fouls: 5-6
REB: 26-24
OREB: 3-3
STL: 8-6
BLK: 1-1
Paint: 24-32
Bench: 8-6
2nd chance: 4-2
Fast Break: 8-10

Individual Stats

Columbia
Cuff: 33 pts, 3 ast, 2 stl, 12-16 fg, 9-12 3p
Kravic: 14 pts, 6 reb, 6-10 fg, 2-2 3p
Baumann: 13 pts, 7 reb, 6-10 fg
Montgomery: 8 pts
Loscalzo: 7 pts, 14 ast, 2 stl
Bova: 5 pts, 3 ast, 3 reb

Notre Dame
Cornett: 20 pts, 7 reb, 4 ast, 3 stl, 10-10 fg
Falls: 16 pts, 5-18 fg, 4-8 3p
Kurz: 11 pts, 9 reb, 2 stl, 5-8 fg
Francis: 6 pts, 3 reb, 4 ast
Quinn: 4 pts, 8 ast

Player of the Game: SG Dalen Cuff, Columbia

Up Next: 12/27 Mutual Funds Holiday Invitational @ #8 St. Johns(8-1)

[TimmeH]

Re: Columbia Lions (CH2K6)

St. John's Ends Lions Run

Columbia 56, St. John's 76

Columbia came into the Mutual Fund Holiday Invitational with all the confidence in the world after blowing out nationally ranked Notre Dame on the road. But they'd see that confidence drained by the time St. John's was done with them.

The first half began alot like the Notre Dame game, with both teams going back and forth with scores, and neither team able to take control. St. John's looked to be in control as the first half went on, but Columbia made a late run and tied it with a Dalen Cuff three at the buzzer.

That was the last time Columbia would be so close. St. John's opened the second half on a big run thanks to big man Lamont Hamilton and guard Daryll Hill. Hamilton was just too strong for the undersized Columbia frontcourt, and Hill was too fast for the Columbia backcourt. Hamilton finished with 20, Hill 19.

Columbia's poor shooting didn't help, either. They shot only 34 percent in the second half, often missing wide open looks at the basket. Cuff was even benched at one point for missing three straight open looks at the basket.

Columbia hosts Lehigh on Monday in their final game before the conference season begins. At 6-4, Columbia currently owns the best record in the Ivy League.

Team Stats

Columbia-St. John's
Points: 56-76
FGM: 24-31
FGA: 62-70
FG%: 39-44
3PM: 3-0
3PA: 17-0
3P%: 18-0
FTM: 5-14
FTA: 6-17
FT%: 83-82
AST: 14-20
TO: 8-12
Fouls: 16-6
REB: 20-34
OREB: 8-7
STL: 9-6
BLK: 5-4
Paint: 30-54
Bench: 15-16
2nd chance: 4-4
Fast Break: 8-22

Individual Stats

Columbia
Kravic: 11 pts
Montgomery: 10 pts, 5 reb
Cuff: 9 pts, 4-13 fg, 1-7 3p
Loscalzo: 7 pts, 4 ast
Barrett: 6 pts
Baumann: 4 pts, 4 reb, 2-8 fg

St. John's
Hamilton: 20 pts, 9 reb, 2 blk, 10-15 fg
Hill: 19 pts, 6 ast, 4 TO, 8-21 fg
Williams: 11 pts, 6 reb, 2 stl
Spears: 6 pts, 2 stl, 2 blk
Maybank: 5 pts, 5 reb
Lawrence: 4 pts, 7 ast, 2-16 fg

Player of the Game: PF Lamont Hamilton, St. John's

Up Next: 1/2 v. Lehigh(4-5)

Current Record: 6-4