Columbia University
Maine
Columbia Readies to Host Maine Saturday
12/3/2021 1:17:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The Lions and Black Bears will each be in search of their third wins of the season when they meet on Schiller Court.
Tickets can be purchased by clicking here or calling 888-LIONS-11. Please find Columbia's detailed venue policies here. The game can also be seen live on ESPN+.
OPENING TIP-OFF
• The Lions dropped their fourth-straight after a 98-60 defeat at UMBC Wednesday. The Retrievers started the game on a 10-0 run and led wire-to-wire.
• Up next, Columbia will play its fourth game in a span of 10 days when it plays Colgate Monday night in Hamilton, New York.
NEWS/NOTES
MAINE'S STATUS
The Black Bears have been idle since last Saturday when they fell at Bradley, 71-39. Maine's two wins have both come against non-Division I opponents. Vukasin Masic is averaging 8.3 points to lead the squad.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Columbia is 4-3 against Maine in a series that dates back to 2010. In 2019-20, the Black Bears erased a 13-point deficit against an undermanned Lions (six players missed the contest due to illness or injury) squad and took a 75-72 victory in Bangor in January 2020.
COLUMBIA VS. THE AMERICA EAST
The Lions are 20-24 against teams currently in the America East Conference. Columbia's most common foe is Stony Brook, who it has faced 20 times. The Lions have already topped Binghamton and fallen to UMBC this season with UAlbany on the schedule in December. In 2019-20, Columbia went 1-2 against the America East with its win over Binghamton and losses to the Great Danes and Black Bears.
PAT ATTACK
Junior Patrick Harding has been a force on the glass over the past four games, averaging 10.2 rebounds during that span, pulling down double-figure boards three times. For the season, he is fourth in the Ivy League, posting 7.4 boards per contest. At Bryant in 2019-20, Harding set the program's Division I record for rebounds in a season and ranked second in the nation in rebounds per 40 minutes (18.5).
ALL OUR CHILDREN
After losing over 80-percent of its scoring from 2019-20, Columbia's newcomers are comprising 83.0 percent of its points this season. Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa leads the way, averaging 13.5 points and Liam Murphy is chipping in 12.8. Either Rubio De La Rosa and Murphy have led the Lions in scoring in each contest.
NWEKE OUT
Senior forward Ike Nweke was injured in Columbia's season opener at Fordham on November 9. He is considered week-to-week.
NO JOSHIN'
Josh Odunowo's 16-point, 10-rebound and five-block performance against Binghamton put him in rarified air. No Columbia player has recorded 15+ points, 10+ rebounds and 5+ blocks in a game in since Dane Holmes posted 19, 15 and nine against Lehigh on Jan. 23, 1990 (blocked shots were not officially recorded by the NCAA until the 1985-86 season). Odunowo is third in the Ivy League, rejecting 1.3 shots per game.
COMEBACK KIDS
The Lions have shown resiliency this season, rallying in a pair of contests this season. Against Binghamton, the Lions finished regulation on a 16-0 run to force overtime and went on for a 85-77 win. Columbia nearly pulled off another double-digit comeback at Lehigh, taking the lead with 7:30 left in regulation after trailing by as many as 13 in the first half. However, the Mountain Hawks finished the game on a 10-0 run. Columbia has trailed by double figures at some point in all six games against Division I opponents this season and come back to tie the game four times.
THE IVY LEAGUE ON ESPN+
All home Columbia games and most Ivy League road contests will air on ESPN+ as part of The Ivy League's new partnership with ESPN. ESPN+ is a new, subscription-based service that offers monthly ($4.99) and yearly ($49.99) plans. Click here to subscribe to ESPN+ and start your free trial! Click here for frequently asked questions about the Ivy League on ESPN.
FOLLOW COLUMBIA ON SOCIAL MEDIA
For the latest on the Columbia men's basketball, follow @CULionsMBB on Twitter and Instagram, and the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
