NEW YORK – Trailing by two points, Delaware's Darian Bryant hit a 3-pointer with 21 seconds left in double overtime to give the Blue Hens an 87-86 win over the Columbia men's basketball team Sunday afternoon at Levien Gymnasium. The loss drops Columbia to 1-5 on the year, while Delaware improves to 7-2.
 
Columbia grabbed an 86-84 lead with 29 seconds to play when Quinton Adlesh came up with a steal and hit junior Mike Smith for an uncontested layup. However, Delaware quickly inbounded the ball and found Bryant open from the left wing for the game-winning 3-pointer. It was Bryant's first 3-point attempt of the ballgame.
 
The Lions had two chances to win the game, down the stretch. Smith was blocked on a layup try with time winding down. In a scramble, the Columbia forced a jump ball with the possession arrow with 1.9 seconds to play. The Lions tried to inbound the ball to Patrick Tapé for a dunk, but the pass was off the mark. Gabe Stefanini came away with the ball at the left elbow, but his shot was off the mark as the final horn sounded.
 
"Both teams played a pretty high level," head coach Jim Engles told the Columbia Spectator after the game. "Unfortunately, one or two things (aren't going our way) in these games and we just need to finish some things out. They run most of their offense through their big kid Eric Carter and their point guard Kevin Anderson. We tried to focus on them, but everyone (on Delaware) stepped up. We were there and just needed one more stop and need to execute at the end."
 
Mike Smith tied the game, 70-70, on a clutch 3-pointer with 28 seconds left in regulation to force overtime. Delaware had the last possession in regulation, but Columbia played stifling defense and forced Carter to shoot a fade-away that hit the back iron and out. The Lions erased a five-point deficit in the final three minutes, kick-started by Smith, who converted on a drive to the hoop to cut the lead to 70-67 with 52 seconds to go. On the ensuing possession, Columbia forced a Delaware turnover on a full court trap and Smith swished his 3-pointer from the corner after receiving a pass from Jake Killingsworth.
 
In the first overtime, the Lions had to claw back from a 77-73 deficit after Delaware's Ithiel Horton hit a 3-pointer from the corner with 2:08 to play. Gabe Stefanini answered with a trey to cut the deficit to one with 1:22 left, and after Delaware's Eric Carter scored on a tip-in, Stefanini followed with his second straight trifecta to send the game into a second overtime, 79-79.
 
The two teams combined for 28 3-pointers in the contest which featured 12 lead changes and 12 ties.
 
Three players scored 20 or more points for Delaware, which converted 65.2 percent (15-of-23) of its 3-pointers. Carter led the Blue Hens with 21 points and a game-high 15 rebounds, while Matt Veretto and Horton both finished with 20 points apiece. Veretto knocked down 6-of-7 from 3-point range.
 
Smith tied career-highs 31 points and five steals. Smith, who made a variety of key plays for Columbia, hit a season-high four 3-pointers and went 10-of-20 from the field. Senior Quinton Adlesh came off the bench to score a season-high 19 points with five 3-pointers and Stefanini finished with 14 points.
 
Delaware started the second half on a 13-2 run as it built a commanding 46-37 lead with 15:29 to play. Trailing by two points at the half, Kevin Anderson converted a layup, Veretto followed with a layup and Horton hit a 3-pointer. Then Veretto followed with back-to-back 3-pointers for a 46-37 Blue Hens lead. An easy deuce from Horton gave Delaware its largest lead of the day, 49-39, with 14:12 to play.
 
But Columbia battled back. The Lions slowly cut the Blue Hens' lead down to three points on back-to-back 3-pointers by Smith and Adlesh. A lay-in from Adlesh and then a Peter Barba 3-pointer cut the lead down to 57-56 with 8:11 to play.
 
Columbia led 35-33 at halftime. The two teams traded the lead several times as neither led by more than five points. Using five steals, 15 points from the bench and timely shooting, Columbia stayed in the game despite the fact that Delaware hit six of its first eight 3-pointers.

The Lions are back in action this Wednesday, December 7, when they welcome Colgate to Levien Gymnasium. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased by clicking here or calling 888-LIONS-11. The game will also be broadcast live on ESPN+.