LEWISBURG, Pa. – Senior Maodo Lo scored 23 points on 4-of-6 shooting from long range to help the Columbia men's basketball team top Bucknell, 72-61, Wednesday. The Lions evened their record to 4-4 and picked up their first road win of the season.
Lo added five rebounds, four assists and three steals in 33 minutes of action.
With both teams known for their offensive prowess, the Bison (3-4) and Columbia dug in defensively out of the gates. Bucknell started the contest on a 9-2 run over the opening five minutes, but back-to-back threes from Alex Rosenberg cut the deficit to one with 12:27 left in the half.
At the midway point, the Lions switched to a 2-3 zone defense. Aelx Rosenberg came up with back-to-back steals and dished to Lukas Meisner for a layup in transition to give Columbia it's first lead of the game, 15-13, with 9:10 to go in the frame.
Lo nailed three consecutive triples during a 14-0 spurt to put Columbia in front, 30-18, at the 4:03 mark and took an eight-point advantage into the break.
The Lions were able to capitalize on 12 Bison turnovers and turn them into 13 points in the opening 20 minutes.
Kyle Castlin scored all of his 10 points after the intermission, including a highlight-reel slam dunk to put Columbia in front, 39-28, with 17:15 to play. Castlin drove down the right wing, and elevated above two defenders for his first stuff of the year.
Foul trouble plagued both squads the rest of the way with the teams combining to shoot 44 free throws in the second half to eliminate any rhythm. Bucknell would only draw as close as eight as the Lions held strong for the victory.
Columbia shot 11-of-26 from downtown for the game. Petrasek finished with 14 points and knocked down 4-of-5 from long range. Rosenberg posted 13 points and five assists.
The Lions return to Levien Gymnasium to take on Saint Joseph's on Friday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by clicking here. Fans can also catch the action live on the Ivy League Digital Network.
