Columbia University’s men’s basketball team lost to California 74-56 on Sunday at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley. The Lions struggled early, shooting just 2-for-10 from the field and trailing 13-4 at the under-12 timeout in the first half. Columbia finished the game shooting 41.8 percent overall, including a strong second half where they converted 57.1 percent of their attempts.
Connor Igoe led Columbia with a career-high 16 points, making seven of his eleven shots and collecting four rebounds. Mason Ritter contributed ten points, while Gerard O’Keefe added nine. Kenny Noland had team-highs with seven rebounds and four assists.
Despite a slow start, Columbia narrowed the gap late in the first half after back-to-back layups by Ritter and Igoe reduced Cal’s lead to nine points with just over three minutes left before halftime. However, California maintained control and entered halftime ahead 28-16.
In the second half, Columbia managed to stay within reach for several minutes but could not close the deficit further as California extended its lead to as much as 21 points midway through the period. The Lions went on a late run capped by an Igoe three-point play but were unable to overcome Cal’s advantage.
Columbia committed twelve turnovers in the first half but improved ball security after halftime with only three more turnovers. For California, Dai Dai Ames scored a game-high 21 points.
The Lions now hold a record of 9-3 this season and will travel next to Jacksonville for their first-ever matchup against North Florida on December 28 at 2 p.m.
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