Monday, January 15
New Haven, Conn.
7:00 P.M.
Columbia University
at
Yale
Photo by: Columbia University Athletics / Lem Photography
Men's Basketball Travels to Yale for MLK Day Matchup
1/14/2024 1:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Lions and Bulldogs set for standalone Ivy game Monday evening
NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Columbia men's basketball looks to get back in the win column when it travels to Yale for a Martin Luther King Jr. Day matchup on Monday at 7 p.m. from John J. Lee Amphitheater.
Monday's matchup between the Lions (9-5, 0-1) and the Bulldogs (10-6, 1-0) can be followed via live stats and watched live on ESPN+. Justin Gallanty (play-by-play) and Christine Huber (analyst) will be on the call.
Opening Tip-Off
The Lions are coming off a 91-79 loss at Cornell last Tuesday in a game Columbia hung around in with another well-balanced scoring attack. Columbia is now 32-35 all-time in Ivy League openers.
A win at Yale would give Columbia its first road conference victory since Jan. 8, 2022 at Penn and third win away from home on the season.
Following Monday's matchup with the Bulldogs, Columbia returns to New York City for its Ivy League home opener against Princeton on Saturday at 2 p.m.
News/Notes
Last Time Out
Columbia hung around for most of last Tuesday's Ivy League opener at Cornell, but fell, 91-79, from Newman Arena at Bartels Hall. Avery Brown led Columbia with a season-high 17 points in 38 minutes of action, followed by double-figure efforts from Josh Odunowo (11), Kenny Noland (11), Jaden Cooper (10), and Zine Eddine Bedri (10). The Lions went 32-59 from the field but posted a season-low 7-11 mark from the free throw line. Noland made his first career start in place of Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa, who was out with an injury.
In The New York Groove
Columbia is averaging 86.7 points per game in wins this season. The Lions have the second-largest scoring margin (12.3) and second-most assists (257) in the Ivy League. Columbia is also second in steals (117) and steals per game (8.6). The Lions lead the league and rank 46th in the country in opponent 3-point field goal percentage (29.7).
Columbia has won seven in a row at home for the first time since the 2015-16 season, when it tallied eight wins on its own floor. The seven home wins this season are the most for the Lions since 2017-18.
Fast Facts
The Lions are one of four teams in the country that return more than 90% of their scoring this season, along with Northern Iowa, Wisconsin, and St. Bonaventure. Columbia is also one of 11 teams in the country to return at least 70 percent of its points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks from 2022-23.
The Lions began conference play with nine wins for the first time since 2015-16.
Columbia has scored at least 100 points in two games this season. The last time a Lions team accomplished this feat was in 1976-77.
Columbia surpassed the previous record for most points in a game in program history on Jan. 4 vs. Mount Saint Vincent when the Lions cruised to a 120-52 win. The previous mark was 118 points at Wagner on Jan. 17, 1977.
Zavian McLean dropped a game-high 19 points and pulled in 11 rebounds on Jan. 4, becoming the first Lion to tally a double-double since Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa on Feb. 4, 2022, at Princeton.
Following a win over Temple on Nov. 18, it was the first time Columbia's record has been over .500 since Feb. 4, 2017.
Columbia's two road wins this season so far match the away victory total from the previous three seasons combined.
The Lions had won eight of their first 11 games to start the season for the first time since 1978. Columbia already passed last season's win total on Dec. 11.
Columbia's six-game winning streak earlier this season was the program's longest since January 2016.
Scouting Yale
The Bulldogs enter Monday's contest at 10-6 (1-0) and most recently defeated Brown, 80-70, in their conference opener last Tuesday. Yale has four players averaging double-figures scoring and is led by Danny Wolf (14.2 points per game.) The Bulldogs were picked to finish first in the preseason Ivy League poll. Yale is 3-1 at home this season.
Series History - Yale
The Lions are 127-116 all-time against Yale. Columbia's last win in the series came in last season's conference opener at home, where the Lions pulled out a 62-60 victory. Columbia most recently won at Yale on March 2, 2019.
Well-Balanced Attack
Through the first 14 games this season, Columbia has had at least four players finish with double-figures scoring eight times and five players finish with double-figures scoring three times (Dec. 5 vs. Lafayette, Jan. 4 vs. Mount Saint Vincent, and Jan. 9 at Cornell).
Before this season, Columbia last had five players score double-figures in the same game on Nov. 19, 2019 against Binghamton.
Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa (13.3), Avery Brown (12.1), and Blair Thompson (10.2) are all averaging double-figures scoring. Brown leads the team with 11 double-figure scoring performances each while Rubio De La Rosa has 10 and Thompson has six such games.
Free Throw Frenzy
Columbia is 207-271 (76.4 percent) from the free throw line this season. That mark is second in the Ivy League and ranks 27th in the country. Zavian McLean (17-21), Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa (48-54), and Noah Robledo (11-12) are all shooting above 80 percent from the charity stripe.
Columbia went 28-39 from the line on Nov. 21 against LIU. It was the most attempted free throws by the Lions since Feb. 23, 2018 vs. Brown and the highest mark in head coach Jim Engles' tenure.
De La Rosa Dominance
Junior guard Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa has built off his strong sophomore campaign to start this season. The Santiago, Dominican Republic native had scored in double-figures in nine straight games dating back to last season before dropping eight points on Nov. 15. He has scored double-figures in 10 out of 13 games this season. De La Rosa played a strong all-around game in 2022-23, leading the Lions and ranking among the Ivy League leaders in scoring (13.6), rebounding (5.6) and steals (1.4). His 713 points through his first two seasons are the third-most all-time in program history for a player's first two years.
De La Rosa recorded 22 double-figures scoring games last season, including six straight to close out the year. He scored in double-figures in 12 out of the team's 14 Ivy League games last season. De La Rosa was one of four Lions to play in all 29 games last season and Avery Brown was the only other Lion to start in every game. De La Rosa's 88.8 percent mark from the free throw line last season led the Ivy League and ranked No. 16 in the country. His mark from the charity stripe also ranked third all-time in a single season behind Brian Barbour, who did it twice (.917, 2010-11 and .901, 2011-12).
Up Next
Columbia returns to New York City for its Ivy League home opener against Princeton on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Preseason Ivy League Poll
The Lions were predicted to finish eighth in the preseason Ivy League poll, conducted by selected members of the media.
Follow The Lions
For the latest on Columbia men's basketball, follow @CULionsMBB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, or on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
Monday's matchup between the Lions (9-5, 0-1) and the Bulldogs (10-6, 1-0) can be followed via live stats and watched live on ESPN+. Justin Gallanty (play-by-play) and Christine Huber (analyst) will be on the call.
Opening Tip-Off
The Lions are coming off a 91-79 loss at Cornell last Tuesday in a game Columbia hung around in with another well-balanced scoring attack. Columbia is now 32-35 all-time in Ivy League openers.
A win at Yale would give Columbia its first road conference victory since Jan. 8, 2022 at Penn and third win away from home on the season.
Following Monday's matchup with the Bulldogs, Columbia returns to New York City for its Ivy League home opener against Princeton on Saturday at 2 p.m.
News/Notes
Last Time Out
Columbia hung around for most of last Tuesday's Ivy League opener at Cornell, but fell, 91-79, from Newman Arena at Bartels Hall. Avery Brown led Columbia with a season-high 17 points in 38 minutes of action, followed by double-figure efforts from Josh Odunowo (11), Kenny Noland (11), Jaden Cooper (10), and Zine Eddine Bedri (10). The Lions went 32-59 from the field but posted a season-low 7-11 mark from the free throw line. Noland made his first career start in place of Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa, who was out with an injury.
In The New York Groove
Columbia is averaging 86.7 points per game in wins this season. The Lions have the second-largest scoring margin (12.3) and second-most assists (257) in the Ivy League. Columbia is also second in steals (117) and steals per game (8.6). The Lions lead the league and rank 46th in the country in opponent 3-point field goal percentage (29.7).
Columbia has won seven in a row at home for the first time since the 2015-16 season, when it tallied eight wins on its own floor. The seven home wins this season are the most for the Lions since 2017-18.
Fast Facts
The Lions are one of four teams in the country that return more than 90% of their scoring this season, along with Northern Iowa, Wisconsin, and St. Bonaventure. Columbia is also one of 11 teams in the country to return at least 70 percent of its points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks from 2022-23.
The Lions began conference play with nine wins for the first time since 2015-16.
Columbia has scored at least 100 points in two games this season. The last time a Lions team accomplished this feat was in 1976-77.
Columbia surpassed the previous record for most points in a game in program history on Jan. 4 vs. Mount Saint Vincent when the Lions cruised to a 120-52 win. The previous mark was 118 points at Wagner on Jan. 17, 1977.
Zavian McLean dropped a game-high 19 points and pulled in 11 rebounds on Jan. 4, becoming the first Lion to tally a double-double since Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa on Feb. 4, 2022, at Princeton.
Following a win over Temple on Nov. 18, it was the first time Columbia's record has been over .500 since Feb. 4, 2017.
Columbia's two road wins this season so far match the away victory total from the previous three seasons combined.
The Lions had won eight of their first 11 games to start the season for the first time since 1978. Columbia already passed last season's win total on Dec. 11.
Columbia's six-game winning streak earlier this season was the program's longest since January 2016.
Scouting Yale
The Bulldogs enter Monday's contest at 10-6 (1-0) and most recently defeated Brown, 80-70, in their conference opener last Tuesday. Yale has four players averaging double-figures scoring and is led by Danny Wolf (14.2 points per game.) The Bulldogs were picked to finish first in the preseason Ivy League poll. Yale is 3-1 at home this season.
Series History - Yale
The Lions are 127-116 all-time against Yale. Columbia's last win in the series came in last season's conference opener at home, where the Lions pulled out a 62-60 victory. Columbia most recently won at Yale on March 2, 2019.
Well-Balanced Attack
Through the first 14 games this season, Columbia has had at least four players finish with double-figures scoring eight times and five players finish with double-figures scoring three times (Dec. 5 vs. Lafayette, Jan. 4 vs. Mount Saint Vincent, and Jan. 9 at Cornell).
Before this season, Columbia last had five players score double-figures in the same game on Nov. 19, 2019 against Binghamton.
Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa (13.3), Avery Brown (12.1), and Blair Thompson (10.2) are all averaging double-figures scoring. Brown leads the team with 11 double-figure scoring performances each while Rubio De La Rosa has 10 and Thompson has six such games.
Free Throw Frenzy
Columbia is 207-271 (76.4 percent) from the free throw line this season. That mark is second in the Ivy League and ranks 27th in the country. Zavian McLean (17-21), Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa (48-54), and Noah Robledo (11-12) are all shooting above 80 percent from the charity stripe.
Columbia went 28-39 from the line on Nov. 21 against LIU. It was the most attempted free throws by the Lions since Feb. 23, 2018 vs. Brown and the highest mark in head coach Jim Engles' tenure.
De La Rosa Dominance
Junior guard Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa has built off his strong sophomore campaign to start this season. The Santiago, Dominican Republic native had scored in double-figures in nine straight games dating back to last season before dropping eight points on Nov. 15. He has scored double-figures in 10 out of 13 games this season. De La Rosa played a strong all-around game in 2022-23, leading the Lions and ranking among the Ivy League leaders in scoring (13.6), rebounding (5.6) and steals (1.4). His 713 points through his first two seasons are the third-most all-time in program history for a player's first two years.
De La Rosa recorded 22 double-figures scoring games last season, including six straight to close out the year. He scored in double-figures in 12 out of the team's 14 Ivy League games last season. De La Rosa was one of four Lions to play in all 29 games last season and Avery Brown was the only other Lion to start in every game. De La Rosa's 88.8 percent mark from the free throw line last season led the Ivy League and ranked No. 16 in the country. His mark from the charity stripe also ranked third all-time in a single season behind Brian Barbour, who did it twice (.917, 2010-11 and .901, 2011-12).
Up Next
Columbia returns to New York City for its Ivy League home opener against Princeton on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Preseason Ivy League Poll
The Lions were predicted to finish eighth in the preseason Ivy League poll, conducted by selected members of the media.
Follow The Lions
For the latest on Columbia men's basketball, follow @CULionsMBB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, or on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
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