Saturday, November 16
New York, N.Y.
12:00 P.M.
Columbia University
vs
Mercyhurst
Photo by: Columbia University Athletics / Lem Photography
Men’s Basketball Welcomes Mercyhurst for Saturday Matinee
11/15/2024 11:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Lions are 4-0 for the first time in 19 years
NEW YORK — Columbia men's basketball goes for its fifth straight victory to start the season on Saturday when the Lions play newest Northeast Conference member Mercyhurst for the first time ever at 12 p.m.
Saturday's matchup inside Schiller Court at Levien Gymnasium between the Lions and Lakers can be followed via live stats or watched live on ESPN+. Lance Medow (play-by-play) and John Giannini (color) will have the call. Click here or call 888-LIONS-11 to purchase tickets.
Opening Tip-Off
Columbia earned a 76-75 victory over Lehigh on Tuesday night inside Schiller Court at Levien Gymnasium. The Lions outlasted a 17-5 run from the Mountain Hawks over the final 2:29.
Columbia is 4-0 for the first time since 2005 and has won its first two home games in a season for the first time since 2019.
The Lions return more than 78 percent of their scoring for the second straight season. Columbia also brings back at least 79 percent of its rebounds, assists, and steals from 2023-24. The Lions have the second-highest KenPom continuity rating in the country (75.1). The average continuity mark in the country is 33.7.
News/Notes
Last Time Out
Columbia remained undefeated with a 76-75 win at home against Lehigh on Tuesday. Columbia led for nearly 38 minutes in the victory. Lehigh (0-3) only tied the game twice, with the second time coming with five seconds left in the game. A three-pointer by Keith Higgins Jr. knotted it at 75-75. Avery Brown was fouled with under a second left after driving the lane and converted on one-of-two free throws to seal the win.
Fresh off a slew of weekly accolades, Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa poured in a team-high 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds. He finished 4-8 from beyond the arc and shot 9-17 overall. Kenny Noland and Blair Thompson (11 points each) and Zine Eddine Bedri (10 points) rounded out Columbia's double-figure scorers.
Postgame Notes From Win vs. Lehigh
- Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa posted his eighth straight double-figure scoring game dating back to last season and his 13th career 20-point game on Tuesday.
- Rubio De La Rosa (1,163 career points) is now tied for 19th place on Columbia's all-time scoring list. He passed Darren Burnett (1,159 points) and is tied with Walter Budko (1,163 points).
- Rubio De La Rosa is now tied for second place on Columbia's all-time three-pointers made list (189) after knocking down four on Tuesday night. He is tied with Matt Shannon.
Inside the Analytics
Columbia's KenPom rating as of Nov. 14 is 158. The last time the Lions had a rating this high was on Nov. 23, 2019. Columbia has jumped 59 spots in KenPom since the Villanova win.
Rubio De La Rosa Dominance
Senior guard Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa is off to a scorching start this season, averaging 22.3 points over the first four wins in 2024-25. He is shooting 50 percent from the floor and 46.7 percent from three-point range. Rubio De La Rosa has poured in 20 points in three of the season's first four games.
Rubio De La Rosa's 89 points scored this season are tied for the fifth-most in the country. The Santiago, Dominican Republic native ranks tied for 17th in the country with 27 field goals made and is tied for 13th with 21 free throws made. His 11 steals are tied for sixth in the nation.
Rubio De La Rosa was named to the inaugural Bracketeer.Org Non-Power Conference All-American Watch List on Oct. 31. He played a strong all-around game over 25 appearances (24 starts) in 2023-24 and was tabbed All-Ivy League Honorable Mention. Rubio De La Rosa averaged a team-best in points per game (14.4) for the second straight season and led Columbia in minutes per game (30.8), field goals made (116), three-pointers made (57), and steals (41). Rubio De La Rosa ranked in the top ten among Ivy League players in scoring, three-point field goal percentage, three-point field goals per game, and steals. The guard notched double-figures in 20 games and carries a four-game double-figure scoring streak into the 2024-25 season.
In February, Rubio De La Rosa became the 30th Lion in program history to score 1,000 points and the 16th to do so in his first three seasons.
Record Book Watch
- Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa is tied for second all-time in program history in three-pointers made (189) with Matt Shannon. Maodo Lo (277) is the all-time leader in three-pointers made for the Lions.
- Rubio De La Rosa is second all-time in program history in three-pointers attempted (511). Maodo Lo (692) is the all-time leader in three-pointers attempted for the Lions.
- Rubio De La Rosa's .836 free throw percentage ranks third all-time in program history. He trails Brian Barbour (.897) and Chet Forte (.841).
- Rubio De La Rosa is fourth all-time in program history with 125 steals. He is 21 steals away from tying Sean Couch for third place.
Fast Break Points
- Saturday's 21-point win against Delaware State was the largest margin of victory against a D1 opponent at Levien Gymnasium since Dec. 7, 2018 vs. Bryant (90-68 win).
- It was also the largest margin of victory in a home opener since 2010 (108-74 win over Maryland Eastern Shore).
- Columbia received one vote in Monday's AP Top 25 Poll.
- It's likely the first AP Top 25 vote Columbia has gotten since 1970.
- Jim Engles was named National Coach of the Week by legendary ESPN analyst Dick Vitale on Monday.
- Last time Columbia won its first two home games in a season was 2019-20 (75-63 W vs. Binghamton on Nov. 13; 68-64 W vs. Lehigh on Nov. 30; 69-54 W vs. Marist on Dec. 28).
- Columbia is eighth in the country in points scored (330) as of Nov. 14.
- Columbia had the third-biggest KenPom rating jump in the country during the first week of the season (209 to 148 – +61).
-Was their highest KenPom rating since Nov. 16, 2019 (147).
- On Monday, Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa was the first Lion to be tabbed Lou Henson National Player of the Week. He was also tabbed Ivy League Player of the Week and Mid-Major Madness Men's Player of the Week.
- Blair Thompson posted his first career double-double in Saturday's win, which included 12 points and a career-high 11 rebounds.
Preseason Ivy League Poll
The Lions were predicted to finish fifth in the preseason Ivy League poll, conducted by selected members of the media. It is the highest the Lions have been picked to finish since 2017, when they were also picked fifth. Columbia had been predicted to finish eighth the last three seasons.
Up Next
Columbia makes the short trip to LIU on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The game will air live on NEC Front Row.
Tickets on Sale
Single-game tickets for the 2024-25 Columbia men's basketball season are now on sale. Click here or call 888-LIONS-11 to purchase tickets.
Follow The Lions
For the latest on Columbia men's basketball, follow @CULionsMBB on X, Instagram or on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
Saturday's matchup inside Schiller Court at Levien Gymnasium between the Lions and Lakers can be followed via live stats or watched live on ESPN+. Lance Medow (play-by-play) and John Giannini (color) will have the call. Click here or call 888-LIONS-11 to purchase tickets.
Opening Tip-Off
Columbia earned a 76-75 victory over Lehigh on Tuesday night inside Schiller Court at Levien Gymnasium. The Lions outlasted a 17-5 run from the Mountain Hawks over the final 2:29.
Columbia is 4-0 for the first time since 2005 and has won its first two home games in a season for the first time since 2019.
The Lions return more than 78 percent of their scoring for the second straight season. Columbia also brings back at least 79 percent of its rebounds, assists, and steals from 2023-24. The Lions have the second-highest KenPom continuity rating in the country (75.1). The average continuity mark in the country is 33.7.
News/Notes
Last Time Out
Columbia remained undefeated with a 76-75 win at home against Lehigh on Tuesday. Columbia led for nearly 38 minutes in the victory. Lehigh (0-3) only tied the game twice, with the second time coming with five seconds left in the game. A three-pointer by Keith Higgins Jr. knotted it at 75-75. Avery Brown was fouled with under a second left after driving the lane and converted on one-of-two free throws to seal the win.
Fresh off a slew of weekly accolades, Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa poured in a team-high 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds. He finished 4-8 from beyond the arc and shot 9-17 overall. Kenny Noland and Blair Thompson (11 points each) and Zine Eddine Bedri (10 points) rounded out Columbia's double-figure scorers.
Postgame Notes From Win vs. Lehigh
- Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa posted his eighth straight double-figure scoring game dating back to last season and his 13th career 20-point game on Tuesday.
- Rubio De La Rosa (1,163 career points) is now tied for 19th place on Columbia's all-time scoring list. He passed Darren Burnett (1,159 points) and is tied with Walter Budko (1,163 points).
- Rubio De La Rosa is now tied for second place on Columbia's all-time three-pointers made list (189) after knocking down four on Tuesday night. He is tied with Matt Shannon.
Inside the Analytics
Columbia's KenPom rating as of Nov. 14 is 158. The last time the Lions had a rating this high was on Nov. 23, 2019. Columbia has jumped 59 spots in KenPom since the Villanova win.
Rubio De La Rosa Dominance
Senior guard Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa is off to a scorching start this season, averaging 22.3 points over the first four wins in 2024-25. He is shooting 50 percent from the floor and 46.7 percent from three-point range. Rubio De La Rosa has poured in 20 points in three of the season's first four games.
Rubio De La Rosa's 89 points scored this season are tied for the fifth-most in the country. The Santiago, Dominican Republic native ranks tied for 17th in the country with 27 field goals made and is tied for 13th with 21 free throws made. His 11 steals are tied for sixth in the nation.
Rubio De La Rosa was named to the inaugural Bracketeer.Org Non-Power Conference All-American Watch List on Oct. 31. He played a strong all-around game over 25 appearances (24 starts) in 2023-24 and was tabbed All-Ivy League Honorable Mention. Rubio De La Rosa averaged a team-best in points per game (14.4) for the second straight season and led Columbia in minutes per game (30.8), field goals made (116), three-pointers made (57), and steals (41). Rubio De La Rosa ranked in the top ten among Ivy League players in scoring, three-point field goal percentage, three-point field goals per game, and steals. The guard notched double-figures in 20 games and carries a four-game double-figure scoring streak into the 2024-25 season.
In February, Rubio De La Rosa became the 30th Lion in program history to score 1,000 points and the 16th to do so in his first three seasons.
Record Book Watch
- Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa is tied for second all-time in program history in three-pointers made (189) with Matt Shannon. Maodo Lo (277) is the all-time leader in three-pointers made for the Lions.
- Rubio De La Rosa is second all-time in program history in three-pointers attempted (511). Maodo Lo (692) is the all-time leader in three-pointers attempted for the Lions.
- Rubio De La Rosa's .836 free throw percentage ranks third all-time in program history. He trails Brian Barbour (.897) and Chet Forte (.841).
- Rubio De La Rosa is fourth all-time in program history with 125 steals. He is 21 steals away from tying Sean Couch for third place.
Fast Break Points
- Saturday's 21-point win against Delaware State was the largest margin of victory against a D1 opponent at Levien Gymnasium since Dec. 7, 2018 vs. Bryant (90-68 win).
- It was also the largest margin of victory in a home opener since 2010 (108-74 win over Maryland Eastern Shore).
- Columbia received one vote in Monday's AP Top 25 Poll.
- It's likely the first AP Top 25 vote Columbia has gotten since 1970.
- Jim Engles was named National Coach of the Week by legendary ESPN analyst Dick Vitale on Monday.
- Last time Columbia won its first two home games in a season was 2019-20 (75-63 W vs. Binghamton on Nov. 13; 68-64 W vs. Lehigh on Nov. 30; 69-54 W vs. Marist on Dec. 28).
- Columbia is eighth in the country in points scored (330) as of Nov. 14.
- Columbia had the third-biggest KenPom rating jump in the country during the first week of the season (209 to 148 – +61).
-Was their highest KenPom rating since Nov. 16, 2019 (147).
- On Monday, Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa was the first Lion to be tabbed Lou Henson National Player of the Week. He was also tabbed Ivy League Player of the Week and Mid-Major Madness Men's Player of the Week.
- Blair Thompson posted his first career double-double in Saturday's win, which included 12 points and a career-high 11 rebounds.
Preseason Ivy League Poll
The Lions were predicted to finish fifth in the preseason Ivy League poll, conducted by selected members of the media. It is the highest the Lions have been picked to finish since 2017, when they were also picked fifth. Columbia had been predicted to finish eighth the last three seasons.
Up Next
Columbia makes the short trip to LIU on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The game will air live on NEC Front Row.
Tickets on Sale
Single-game tickets for the 2024-25 Columbia men's basketball season are now on sale. Click here or call 888-LIONS-11 to purchase tickets.
Follow The Lions
For the latest on Columbia men's basketball, follow @CULionsMBB on X, Instagram or on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
Players Mentioned
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