NEW YORK – The Columbia men's basketball team held Delaware to one field goal in the final 5:36 to pull away and take an 82-69 victory Sunday afternoon. Fourplayers scored in double-figures for the Lions (5-5) with Maodo Lo dropping 17 and added three blocks.
Down by one, Columbia used a 12-2 run to jump ahead 72-64 after a Grant Mullins free throw with 1:06 remaining. Marvin King-Davis pulled the Blue Hens (4-3) within five, but the Lions went 6-of-6 from the charity stripe and Lukas Meisner capped the win with a two-handed slam with two seconds to go.
Delaware shot 51.9 percent from the floor and 7-of-12 (58.3 percent) from long range to take a 38-32 cushion at the half. The duo of Cazmon Hayes and Kory Holden combined to score 24 of the team's 38 points.
Hayes made five treys in the first six minutes of action and the Blue Hens led 20-11 with 13:37 left in the first half. Petrasek made it 27-25 with 7:45 before the break, but that would be as close as Columbia would get in the opening frame.
The Lions started the second half on a 15-3 run, spearheaded by the play of Meisner, who's steal and rim-rocking dunk followed by a 3-pointer, helped Columbia take a 47-41 lead with 14:44 remaining. Delaware answered with six-straight to tie the score just over a minute later before the teams exchanged the lead three more times before the Lions' made their defensive stand.
Hayes finished with 24 for the Blue Hens and added five rebounds. Holden posted 23 points and four assists.
Delaware shot just 36.4 percent in the second half and 2-of-7 (28.6 percent) from 3-point range, compared to 51.7 percent from the floor for Columbia.
Meisner set a career-high with 17 rebounds to go with four rebounds and two steals. Petrasek netted 16, on 5-of-7 shooting. Mullins added 15 points and three assists.
The Lions will make a short trip to Riverdale to take on Manhattan on Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 7 p.m.. Fans can listen to the action live on the Ivy League Digital Network.
NOTES: Lo moved into sole possession of third place on Columbia's steal list and now has 126 for his career after passing Brian Barbour '13CC… Lo also moved past Gary Raimondo '99CC for fifth on the all-time scoring list (1,321)… Rosenberg sits tied with Jim McMillian '70CC for fifth in career free-throws made (404).
