PRINCETON, N.J. — After a tightly contested first half, Princeton pulled away in the second to come away with a 79-61 win over the Columbia men's basketball team Saturday. Gabe Stefanini posted 18 points and eight rebounds in the defeat for the Lions (7-17, 2-8).

Patrick Tapé notched 15 points and eight boards, while Quinton Adlesh got back into double-figures with 11 points.

The first half saw the teams battle back-and-forth with seven tie scores and five lead changes. Stefanini rattled off five in a row to break a 21-21 deadlock. Princeton closed the half on a 12-2 run and held the Lions without a field goal over the final 2:12 to take a 34-29 cushion into the break.

Princeton used four 3-point possessions to pull away and take a 58-44 lead with 11:06 left and held off the Lions each time they tried to claw back. The Tigers drained 6-of-13 from beyond the arc after intermission, compared to just 1-of-6 for Columbia.

Ryan Schwieger led Princeton (15-8, 7-3) with 20 points, going 8-of-11 from the floor. Jerome Desrosiers finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Columbia continues its road swing Friday, March 1 at Brown. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. on ESPNU. Tickets for upcoming home games can be purchased by clicking here or calling 888-LIONS-11.