Turnovers crush Columbia’s hopes of beating the Big Green, leading to a 76-63 loss. 

Columbia (4-14) went into today’s game knowing that a win was essential to keep the Lions from falling into last place in the Ivy League Conference. Dartmouth (5-12) found itself in the same position as both teams sat in eighth place and held conference records of 1-4. The loser of this afternoon’s game would fall into last place in the Ivy League. With the Ivy League season halfway over, it was critical for both teams to pick up the win. 

The Lions started the first half strong and held their own against the Big Green. Columbia rose to a 9-2 lead within the first four minutes of the game. Good shooting kept the Lions ahead in the opening minutes, but Dartmouth rebounded extremely well in the offensive half of the court and leveled the scoreline 12-12 with 14 minutes left in the half. Lion turnovers helped Dartmouth stick with Columbia, and it was only a matter of time before the Big Green overtook the Lions. Eventually, excellent passing gave Dartmouth their first lead of the game with just over five minutes remaining. Dartmouth kept their rally going and ended the half with a slight edge over the Lions.

Halftime Score: 35-30 Dartmouth

Dartmouth opened the second half extremely strong. The Big Green quickly extended their lead, and the Lions struggled to keep up. Offensively, the Lions failed to even make it to the basket, with turnovers happening before they had a chance to score. In the second half alone, the Lions had nearly 10 turnovers—each turnover allowing Dartmouth to build its lead and keep Columbia from gaining momentum. The Big Green outscored Columbia 41-33 and racked up four more steals in the second half. Another factor crushed the Lions’ chances of a comeback as well; fifth-year super senior and second-highest scorer on the Big Green team Aaron Rai scored 18 points in the final 13 minutes of the game. Up until that point, he had been held to only two points. Despite three players scoring in the double digits and outrebounding Dartmouth, the Lions were overwhelmed by the Big Green’s defensive capability. Columbia finished the game with 15 turnovers. 

Final Score: 76-63 Dartmouth

As a result of the loss, the Lions drop to last in the Ivy League Conference and hold the worst record in the Ivy League. They hope to bounce back from their four-game losing streak against the University of Pennsylvania (8-12) on February 4. The last time the Lions and Quakers faced off, Columbia came out on top 73-69.

columbia v. dartmouth via mclt