BALTIMORE, MD - Despite leading 41-39 after the first half, Columbia fell to Fairleigh Dickinson 84-70 in the first game of the UMBC Retriever Tip-off Tournament. Sophomore Michele Gage led the Lions with her first career double-double, having 21 points and 12 rebounds. The Lions start the season 0-1.
After Columbia led the first half 41-39, FDU started the second half on fire, tying up the score at 41 with two quick baskets from Shanay Freeman and Mercedez Walker. After a thirty-second timeout, the Lions were called for a shot clock violation and the Knights took the lead 45-41 on a shot by Megan Kirkland. Senior center Sarah Beato scored the first point of the second half for Columbia on a free throw to cut the lead to three points.
The Lions, however, could not gain any momentum and the Knights increased their lead to 52-44. Back-to-back layups by junior Becky Hogue cut the lead to four points, but FDU quickly increased the lead back to eight points (58-50) on free throws and a three pointer by Rachel Ormsby.
The Knights took a 16-point lead (72-56) with 6:13 left in the game and never looked back, winning by a final score of 84-70. FDU dominated the boards in the second half, grabbing 40 rebounds, compared to Columbia's 18. "We didn't shoot the ball as well as we would hope to normally," commented head coach Paul Nixon, "But the difference in the game was their ability to rebound the ball offensively in the second half."
Scoring in double digits along with Gage was junior guard Megan Griffith, who had 12 points, and Hogue, first-year Katrina Cragg and sophomore Brittney Carfora added eight points apiece. Houge also had 10 rebounds. Four FDU players scored in double digits and both teams had 26 team fouls with each team having two players foul out.
"I thought we played the tempo we wanted to play, it was a high possession game," said Nixon, "But it was frustrating as a coach to have key players in foul trouble."
Columbia led almost the entire first half, starting out with a 12-6 lead with help from a three-pointer from junior Shasta Henderson and four points from Griffith. Hogue made the score 14-6 and the Lions kept a sizeable lead until FDU was able to cut it to two points (22-20) on a layup by Freeman. The Lions quickly brought the lead back to 27-20 on two free throws by Gage and a three pointer by Griffith.
With a minute to go in the half, Fairleigh Dickinson took a one-point lead on a made free throw by Gayle Coats but the Lions took the lead to the locker room with five quick points from Cragg (two free throws and a three-pointer) and Gage, who hit a jumper at the buzzer to give the Lions the four point advantage.
Gage led all players at the half with 13 points and nine rebounds with Griffith adding nine points and Cragg having eight points.
Columbia will play Morgan State tomorrow, Sunday, November 20th in the consolation game of the Retriever Tip-off Tournament. Game time is 1 p.m.
