December 9 | 7 p.m. | Draddy Gymnasium
Columbia (5-5)
Manhattan (1-5)
THREE POINT PLAN
Columbia Athletics is offering a special opportunity to purchase tickets for pivotal games in advance with our Three Point Plan. This plan offers the best games, the best seats, AND the best value. Choose from any three games, including one "Premium Game" (Harvard, Penn, Yale), before Ivy League single game tickets go on sale. Don't get shut out! The package is ONLY $40 - a savings of 20% PLUS a 20% off deal to the Lion Store, the official merchandise store for the Columbia Lions. To learn more or to purchase your Three Point Plan, visit gocolumbialions.com/tickets or call 888-LIONS-11 today. Availability is limited – don't miss this fast break to value with the Three Point Plan!
THE STORYLINES
COLUMBIA'S STATUS
The Lions held Delaware to just one field goal in the final 5:36 to surge past the Blue Hens, 82-69, Sunday. Four players scored in double-figures, led by 17 points from Maodo Lo.
MANHATTAN'S STATUS
The Jaspers have dropped three-straight including a pair of MAAC contests to Siena and Marist over the weekend. Manhattan has had seven players (six scholarship) miss a total of 20 games due to injury.
Shane Richards leads the team, averaging 18.5 points per game. The Jaspers are still pressing and wreaking havoc on the defensive end, averaging opponents to turn the ball over 18.3 times per game to go with 8.7 steals per contest.
SERIES HISTORY
Columbia is 14-9 against Manhattan in a series that dates all the way to 1917-18. Manhattan took the last meeting, 71-70, in a nail-biter in Levin Gymnasium in Nov. 2013.
COLUMBIA VS. THE MAAC
The Lions hold a 21-25 record against teams currently in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Columbia's most common opponent are the Jaspers. This will be the second MAAC school the Lions will face after falling, 82-81 in overtime, at Fairfield on Nov. 27.
LUKAS WITH THE LID OFF
First-year Lukas Meisner has emerged as Columbia's sixth man, averaging eight points and seven rebounds over his last three games. Meisner went off for 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including a pair of crowd-pleasing dunks against Delaware on Dec. 6. Two nights earlier, the 6-8 forward pulled down a career-best nine rebounds against Saint Joseph's.
DO YOU NEED ASSISTANCE?
Columbia has been sharing the ball well all season and are averaging 16.8 assists per game to lead the Ivy League. The Lions assisted on 18 of their 20 field goals in a win over Bucknell on Dec. 2.
FROM DOWNTOWN
Columbia has been relient on the 3-point shot this season with over half (49.1 percent) of its attempts coming from beyond the arc. The Lions' 108 makes and 282 attempts are fourth in the NCAA and their 10.8 per game put them eighth in that category.
UP NEXT
VS. NJIT
SATURDAY, DEC. 12 | 7 P.M.
NEW YORK | LEVIEN GYMNASIUM
Former Columbia assistant coach Jim Engles and NJIT are next on the slate for the Lions in the schools' first meeting since 2009. The Highlanders sit at 5-4 overall after a tough loss to Kent State on Monday. NJIT will take on St. Francis Brooklyn before coming to the burrough of Manhattan.
Saturday night's contest will also be a Prostate Cancer Awareness game. In partnership with the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, 50 percent of ticket proceeds will go directly to Prostate Cancer research. There will also be tables at the game for fans to donate to the cause. Fans and all attendees are encouraged to wear blue to support the cause. For more information, visit http://hiccc.columbia.edu.
