UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Rider overcame a 10-point second-half deficit and held the Columbia men's basketball team without a basket over the final 8:32 to earn an 87-63 victory at the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament Saturday night. The Lions will face either Central Connecticut State in the consolation game Sunday, November 24 at 6 p.m. on ESPN3.
 
Mike Smith posted 21 points on 5-of-9 shooting from 3-point range to go with seven assists and four rebounds. Jack Forrest dropped a career-high 19 points off the bench, going 8-of-12 from the floor.
 
Smith was in complete control of the show either scoring or assisting on six of the Lions' first eight buckets. The senior point guard's layup with 12:58 left in the first half gave the Lions a 17-9 lead and Ike Nweke's jumper from the left corner gave Columbia its largest lead of the half at the 10:42 marker.
 
Down 30-21, the Broncs ripped off a 10-0 run to take their first lead of the night, but Jake Killingsworth answered with a triple to put the Lions back in front, 33-31. Rider answered with the next five to go up three before Killingsworth, Maka Ellis and Smith teamed up for triples to close the half and hold a 42-39 cushion at the break.
 
The Lions seemed to be in cruise control, going up 52-42 on a turnaround jumper by Forrest from the right elbow with 14:33 on the clock. However, the Broncs attacked the basket and put nearly all of Columbia's frontcourt in foul trouble as they climbed back into the contest.
 
Frederick Scott scored eight of his 18 points during a 13-2 outburst to give Rider a 55-54 advantage with 12:34 left. Smith scored the final Lions' bucket, giving them a 63-62 lead before the Broncs sealed the deal with the final 25 points of the contest.
 
Smith and Forrest scored all 21 of Columbia's points in the second half.
 
The Lions shot 10-of-18 from 3-point range in the first half, but were just 2-of-15 in the second. Rider also took advantage from the foul line, going 17-of-25 from the charity stripe compared to just 1-of-3 attempts by Columbia.
 
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