Lions score over 100 points in last night’s victory

When Swarthmore found out just before tipoff that Monday night’s contest would include media timeouts, the locker room buzzed with excitement. “Welcome to the big time,” several players from the Garnet were heard saying. It was an indication of the difference in levels between Division III and Division I basketball, and there would be many more during the 40 minutes of basketball that followed.

In the first matchup between Columbia (2-4) and the small Division III school from outside of Philadelphia in over a century, the Lions took care of the Garnet handily, 104-42. The hosts featured double-digit scoring from four different players, led by sophomore guard Meiko Lyles, who had a game-high 17 points. Freshman forward Alex Rosenberg finished with 15 points, while senior guard Steve Egee added 13. Junior center Mark Cisco had 12 points with six rebounds.

“I thought we played really well,” head coach Kyle Smith said. “Obviously Swarthmore is not a Division I opponent, but we played within ourselves, and shared the ball well. It was nice to see the ball go in, too.”

The Lions opened the scoring just 15 seconds into the contest with a lay-in from Cisco, and led by as many as 65 in the second half. The Light Blue started with an 8-1 run before the visitors were able to convert their first field goal. Columbia would blow the game open early behind a barrage of treys from senior Chris Crockett, freshman Noah Springwater, Lyles, and Rosenberg. The Light Blue would convert on eight of its first 12 attempts from downtown.

“That definitely helps, definitely gives us confidence,” Lyles said. “It’s contagious—a couple people start hitting a couple early and everyone starts feeling it.”

Smith thought the source of strong shooting came even earlier.

“You know what, I think we had confidence even going into the game,” Smith said. “It was a team effort, and the team attitude has been good.”

Rosenberg, the reigning Ivy League co-Rookie of the Week, got his second start of the season and led the charge early, knocking down his first three attempts from beyond the three-point arc. He scored all 15 of his points in the first half.

“He’s a talented young player, and he’s really coming along,” Egee said. “Every day in practice we say ‘just get better’, and I think Rosenberg is really doing that. He’s really starting to fit a role, and I’m proud of him.”

“He gets a good look at the three,” Smith said. “It’s nice when you’re 6’7” and you can get a look over the top.”

The Lions’ triumph marks their second win in a row after defeating Manhattan in their first victory of the year last Saturday. That win was accented by the Light Blue’s defense, which held the Jaspers to 41 points on 26.2 percent shooting. On the year, Columbia has held opponents to 61.2 points per game, nearly 10 points fewer than last year’s average.

The Lions kept up their smothering defense, holding the Garnet to 42 points. On this night, though, the offense was the story as the Lions scored early and often. Fifteen Lions contributed to the effort and 13 different players scored on the evening.

Columbia held a commanding advantage at the break, leading Swarthmore 60-26—more points than the Lions put up in both halves on Saturday. The Lions shot 60 percent from the field and 58.8 percent from beyond the arc in the first period. Egee finished the half with 10 points, while junior big men Cisco and John Daniels added nine and six points, respectively. The Light Blue out-rebounded the Garnet 27-10 in the first half, led by Daniels with eight boards and Cisco with six. Daniels would finish with a game-high 10 rebounds.

The win gives the Lions momentum heading into a trip out west this weekend to compete in the Loyola Marymount Centennial Classic.

“We’ve got two in a row now, so we just want to keep that going,” Lyles said. “We have four games in five days, but we know it’s going to be a challenge and we’re ready for it.”

The Light Blue opens play on Friday against host Loyola Marymount. Tipoff is scheduled for 10 p.m.