Columbia Looks to Continue Winning Ways at Home vs. Holy Cross on Tuesday Night
12/6/2011 1:37:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Purchase Tickets | Watch or Listen Live | Live Stats | The Lion Store
NEW YORK - Winners of five straight games, Columbia returns to action on Tuesday, December 6 when the Lions host Holy Cross at 7 p.m. at Levien Gymnasium. Last weekend, Columbia played in the Loyola Marymount Centennial Classic and swept all three games, defeating the hosts 69-61, North Texas 72-57 and La Sierra 78-56 in three consecutive days.
Tickets to the game are available online or by calling 888-LIONS-11. Students are admitted free with Columbia or Barnard ID.
Fans can also watch or listen live to the game via SideLION Pass with Jerry Recco and Dalen Cuff on the call. WKCR 89.9 FM, Columbia's student radio station, will also call the game. Live stats and game notes are available.
LIONS RETURN HOME AFTER THREE WINS IN L.A.
Columbia won all three games at the Loyola Marymount Centennial Classic last weekend, defeating the hosts in the opener, 69-61. Loyola Marymount had previously returned from a win over 23rd-ranked Saint Louis and had defeated UCLA earlier in the year. The Lions then knocked off North Texas by a score of 72-57 and La Sierra 78-56 to push Columbia's winning streak to five consecutive games.
MEIKO LYLES NAMED IVY LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Columbia sophomore Meiko Lyles was named the Ivy League Player of the Week on Dec. 5 after he shot 79.2 percent from three-point range in four starts this week, helping lead Lions to a 4-0 week. Lyles scored in double figures in each game, averaging 15.8 points per game while playing 25.8 minutes per game. At one point during the three-game weekend set at Loyola Marymount, Lyles connected on 12 straight three-pointers. Lyles was named the Loyola Marymount Centennial Classic Player of the Game in Columbia's 72-57 win over North Texas. In that game, Lyles connected on all five of his shots from three-point range and totaled a career-high 18 points points and grabbed four rebounds.
FIVE ALIVE
The Lions have won five straight games after starting the season with four defeats. The five-game win streak is Columbia's longest in six years. The Lions started the 2005-06 season with five straight wins (November 17-30, 2005).
LEADING WIRE TO WIRE
During Columbia's current five-game win streak, the Lions have led for 40 minutes in four of the five games. The only time Columbia trailed was in the opening minutes of its win against North Texas, when the Mean Green had a 2-0 lead.
BACK TO D
Columbia's defense has been its calling card early this season.The Lions have not allowed a team to score more than 70 points this season and have held their opponents to fewer than 60 points on four occasions, all during the current five-game win streak. Last season, Columbia held its opponent under 60 points in just two games.
SHOOTING THE THREE
During Columbia's last five games, the Lions have made 46.5 percent of their three-point shots. Meiko Lyles has canned 20 of 30 from downtown during that span and Brian Barbour has made 10 of 22.
DEFENDING THE THREE
Columbia's defense on three-point shots has been equally impressive in recent games. Over the weekend at the Loyola Marymount Classic, Columbia's opponents made just eight of 41 three-pointers (19.5 percent). North Texas was shut out from behind the arc, missing all 11 of its shots from long distance.
LIONS CONTROLLING OFFENSIVE GLASS
In six of its first nine games, Columbia has totaled more offensive rebounds than its opponents. The Lions have outrebounded their opponents in seven of their nine games this season.
PLAYERS OF THE GAME
In lieu of an all-tournament team, Loyola Marymount awarded Players of the Game after each game during the weekend in Los Angeles. Three Columbia players gained Player of the Game honors after each game. The Lions were the only undefeated team of four teams in the Loyola Marymount Classic.
Game 1: Brian Barbour (24 pts, 4 rebs, 3 assists, 2 steals)
Game 2: Meiko Lyles (18 pts, 4 rebs, 5-5 3FG)
Game 3: Mark Cisco (14 pts, 9 rebs, 5-6 FG)
BARBOUR'S SHOP
Junior guard Brian Barbour has had an outstanding early season. He has scored in double figures in seven of Columbia's nine games, all games in which he has played 35 minutes or more. In three of the last four games, Barbour has dished out five assists. He is Columbia's leading scorer and assist man this season.
YOU'RE ON THE MARK, CISCO
Junior center Mark Cisco is averaging 7.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game this season. Against La Sierra on Sunday, Cisco totaled 14 points and nine rebounds in Columbia's third game in three days. He made five of six shots from the field and sank four of six free throws.
GO, JOHNNY, GO
Junior forward John Daniels has provided a big lift recently in Columbia's frontcourt. Against Loyola Marymount last Friday, Daniels had six points and matched his career high with 12 rebounds, a number of them coming in big spots down the stretch of that game.
THE BLOOM IS ON ROSENBERG
Rookie Alex Rosenberg has had a strong start to his first collegiate campaign. Rosenberg is averaging 6.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and just under a steal per game for the Lions. Rosenberg is shooting 47.5 percent from the field and has made 60 percent from three-point range this season.
CROCKETT ROCKS IT
Senior guard Chris Crockett has provided instant offense off the Columbia bench early this season. In the win against North Texas on Saturday, Crockett scored a career-high 12 points on four three-pointers. A day later vs. La Sierra, Crockett matched his career best with four assists and added eight points.
BLAISE OF GLORY
Senior forward Blaise Staab has recorded two double-doubles this season. In the season opener at UConn, Staab posted 11 points 12 rebounds. In Columbia's last win vs. La Sierra, Staab finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds, five of which came on the offensive glass.
NOAH'S ARC
Rookie Noah Springwater has seen significant action lately and had an outstanding game on Friday night at Loyola Marymount. Springwater scored a season-high 10 points, and had two rebounds and two assists in 21 minutes.
OSETKOWSKI'S BLOCK PARTY
Rookie center Cory Osetkowski leads Columbia with 10 blocked shots in nine games this season. Osetkowski is averaging 2.4 points and 3.6 rebounds in 12.8 minutes per game. Osetkowski also has handed out eight assists from the post with just three turnovers.
COLUMBIA AMONG NATIONAL LEADERS
Through December 4, Columbia was ranked among the nation's top 100 teams in several different categories:
| Category | Rank | Actual |
| Scoring Defense | 29th | 58.3 |
| Scoring Margin | 99th | +8.0 |
| Field Goal Pct Defense | 47th | 38.4 |
| Three-Pointers/Game | 17th | 9.0 |
| Three-Point Field Goal Pct | 31st | 40.9 |
| Free Throw Pct | 49th | 73.7 |
| Rebound Margin | 89th | +4.4 |
| Category | Player | Rank | Actual |
| Free Throw Pct | Brian Barbour | 69th | 87.2 |
| Rebounds/Game | John Daniels | 84th | 7.3 |
