Colgate

67

75

Columbia

Box Score   Postgame: Coach Griffith  Surloff's Clutch 3

NEW YORK — A 14-0 run through the final four minutes earned the Columbia women's basketball team a 75-67 victory over Colgate on Sunday afternoon at Levien Gymnasium.

Colgate led 65-61 with less than five minutes remaining. The Lions proceeded to score the game's next 14 points, which began with a layup from senior Tori Oliver at the 4:25 mark. Columbia took the lead back with 2:20 to go when sophomore Paulina Koerner hit 1 of 2 at the charity stripe. The biggest basket came on Columbia's next possession when sophomore Emily Surloff drained a 3-ball from the corner to put the Lions up four with less than two minutes remaining.

Columbia (3-2) sank six more free throws to complete the 14-0 run with a 75-65 lead. Two seconds remained when Colgate (1-5) finally found the basket, ending a scoreless drought of 5:29 in which the Raiders committed five turnovers and shot 0-for-5 from the field.

“We talked a lot about making sure we did what we wanted to do defensively and play over the duration of the shot clock,” said head coach Megan Griffith. “Offensively, we made a huge push in the second half. At first, we were letting Colgate's pressure bother us. We finally started getting fouls on the board, going at the defense and being more aggressive. It was good to see.”

Zimmerman led the way for Columbia, posting game-highs of 22 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. It marked her fourth double-double in five games. Heading into the afternoon, Zimmerman was one of 10 players in Div. I women's basketball to already record at least three double-doubles. The Tempe, Arizona, native matched her season-high in scoring.

Oliver added to Zimmerman's output with 16 points and six rebounds, adding two assists and two steals. The senior shot 6-of-10 from the floor and connected on all four of her free throws. Koerner completed a trio of Lions in double figures with 11 points.

Five Raiders scored in double figures in defeat, led by Rachel Thompson's team-high 13. Mylah Chandler and Tori Pozsonyi each scored 11, as did Hayley Greer off the bench. Katie Curtis finished with 10.

Columbia was outshot 48 percent to 39 percent, but made up for it by knocking down 16 free throws to only seven for Colgate. The Lions also won the turnover battle, 21-13, and nearly doubled the Raiders in points off turnovers, 26-14.

Junior Paige Tippet got the afternoon started with two 3-pointers in the first quarter to give the Lions a quick 8-0 lead. Tippet finished the game with a season-high eight points.

Columbia shot 53 percent in the first quarter to hold a 20-12 cushion. Colgate stormed back in the second, hitting 10 buckets on 71 percent shooting. After the Lions led by as many as 10, the Raiders tied things up for the first time at the 3:49 mark, 26-26, and outscored Columbia 19-4 through the final 7:06 to lead 35-30 at the half.

The Lions responded with a 10-0 run early in the third quarter to retake the lead. Koerner scored for the second time while getting fouled, completing a 3-point play to cap the run with Columbia up 42-38.

The Raiders came back, once more, even taking a 50-49 lead into the final minute of the quarter. Sophomore Abby Lee, making her first collegiate start, hit a 3-pointer as the lead bounced back in favor of the Lions. Sophomore Josie Little beat the horn off an inside give from junior Alexa Giuliano to give Columbia a 54-50 lead heading to the fourth.

Giuliano came out and connected on her second triple of the afternoon to put Columbia in front by its largest margin of the half, 59-52, in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter. The Raiders answered with the next eight points in a span of just 1:36 to reclaim the lead.

Colgate ended a 13-4 run with a 65-61 lead, but the Lions responded down the stretch to move back above .500 on the young season.

Sunday marked the first of three games for the Lions this week. Columbia returns to the hardwood on Wednesday in Baltimore to take on Loyola (Md.). Tip is slated for 7 p.m. at Reitz Arena.

Postgame Notes:
- Camille Zimmerman recorded her fourth double-double and matched her season-high in scoring with 22 points.
- Tori Oliver scored at least 15 points for the fourth consecutive game. Oliver picked up six rebounds and is now two shy of becoming the 12th Lion to record 500 in a career.
- Paige Tippet scored a season-high eight points, all of which came in the first half.
- Sophomore Abby Lee made her first collegiate start.
- First-year Stephanie Flynn made her collegiate debut midway through the third quarter and played 12 minutes.
- Columbia took a 5-4 lead in the all-time series against Colgate, snapping the Raiders' two-game series winning streak.