ALBANY, N.Y. — De'Vondre Perry hit a pair of free throws with 3.6 seconds left in regulation to give the University at Albany a 60-59 win over the Columbia men's basketball team Saturday night. After trailing by as many as 21 points in the first half, the Lions (3-8) climbed all the way back to take the lead in the final minute of the game before the Great Danes (2-7) escaped with the victory.
 
Ike Nweke returned to action after missing the last nine games due to injury. He posted a game-high 18 points and added three steals in 32 minutes off the bench. Liam Murphy was 4-of-7 from downtown and finished with 14 points and seven rebounds. Josh Odunowo added seven points, nine rebounds and three blocks.
 
UAlbany held a 58-52 advantage with 7:42 on the clock when both defenses dug in for the final stretch. Nweke recorded the next three field goals over a span 6:12 and tied the game with a strong post-up move with 1:34 on the clock. The Lions came up with another key stop and Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa was fouled with 29 seconds left, but was only able to convert 1-of-2 at the line, putting Columbia in front by one.
 
The Lions continued to clamp down on the final Great Danes possession, but Perry was able to get the call on a tough shot in the lane with time winding down and knocked down both tries. Columbia raced the ball up the floor and Rubio De La Rosa's double-clutched shoot at the horn was off the mark.
 
The 60 points allowed were the lowest total Columbia has allowed this season and the Lions held UAlbany to 38.3 percent shooting, which was also a season-low for an opponent. The Lions shot an efficient 6-of-14 from beyond the arc, but struggled from the charity stripe, only converting on 9-of-17 attempts.
 
The Great Danes came out red-hot, racing out to a 12-0 lead before Nweke put the Lions on the board with a turnaround jump shot from the foul line with 16:07 left in the first half. UAlbany extended the margin to 28-7 near the midway point of the period before Columbia began to make its push.
 
Eddie Turner III hit a leaner to start a 7-2 spurt to trim the margin to 14 with 8:26 remaining in the frame. The Lions still trailed 38-23 at the 2:21 mark before outscoring the Great Danes 12-2 over the final 2:51. Turner capped the rally with a pull-up triple from the left wing with four seconds left to make it 40-35 at halftime.
 
Nweke and Odunowo scored the first two baskets of the second half to cut the deficit to one out of the intermission. Matt Ceruti canned a 3-pointer on the next possession and UAlbany restored a 47-42 cushion with 15:37 left in regulation before Murphy tied the game for the first time since the opening minutes with a triple. After the Great Danes came up empty on their next two trips down the floor, Rubio De La Rosa gave the Lions their first lead with a free throw at the 12:15 mark.
 
Chuck Champion quickly gave the lead back to UAlbany and the Great Danes tried to pull away when Jarvis Doles knocked down a jumper with under eight minutes to play. That would be UAlbany's last field goal of the contest.
 
Perry registered 17 points, seven rebounds and three blocks to lead the Great Danes. Jamel Horton dished out six assists. 
 
The Lions are back at home to face Sacred Heart on Monday, December 13. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased by visiting gocolumbialions.com/tickets or calling 888-LIONS-11. For venue policies at Schiller Court at Levien Gymnasium, click here. Fans can also catch all the action live on ESPN+.

For the latest on the Columbia men's basketball, follow @CULionsMBB on Twitter and Instagram, and the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.