POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - The Columbia lacrosse team dropped a non-conference contest to the Marist Red Foxes, 13-12, on Wednesday evening at Tenney Stadium. 

Despite trailing 12-7 midway through the fourth quarter, the Lions kept fighting and nearly came all the way back to tie the game. Dani Falcone scored two goals with less than three minutes to play in the game to trim Marist's lead to just one, but the Red Foxes were able to control the final draw of the game and run out the remainder of the clock to extinguish Columbia's great comeback bid. 

"We are learning from this game, working for what is ahead, and continuing to believe in this group." Head Coach Anne Murray said. "We turned it on a little too late to secure the win today."

Sophie Zachara struck first for the Lions, finding the back of the net just over a minute into the game to give Columbia a 1-0 lead. The Red Foxes and Lions would trade goals through the remainder of the first frame, leading to a 2-2 tie heading into the second quarter. 

From this point on, the game turned into a game of runs. Marist scored the first three goals of the second quarter to take a 5-2 lead, but Columbia answered with a 3-0 run, highlighted by a tough goal from first-year Michelle Zhai, to even things up at halftime. 

Both defenses came out aggressive to begin the second half, and the results showed. Neither team found the back of the net for seven consecutive minutes, until it was Anna Becker who broke the stalemate to give Columbia a 6-5 lead. 

That lead would not last long, however, as the Red Foxes once again went on a 3-0 run to close the period and took an 8-6 lead into the final 15 minutes. 

After trading one goal each to begin the fourth quarter, Zhai scooped up a loose ball and found the back of the net with what appeared to be a massive goal, but after a long conversation between the officials it was ruled to be a shot clock violation and Marist's lead remained two goals. 

The Red Foxes capitalized on this momentum swing and went on another 3-0 run to take their largest lead of the game at 12-7 with just eight minutes left to play. It looked like Marist had the game under control, but the Lions showed a ton of heart and did not go down without a fight. 

A clutch free-position conversion from Zachara sparked a late Columbia comeback attempt, which included Becker's third goal of the night and Riya Batra's first goal of the season, but it ultimately fell short. The Red Foxes held on for the 13-12 victory, spoiling Assistant Coach Tierney Larson's return to Poughkeepsie.

Becker, Zhai, and Falcone had three points each to lead the Lions. Falcone added a team-high three ground balls and two caused turnovers with three draw controls for a well-balanced statline. Zachara led Columbia with five draw controls. Ava Kimche had a career-high 12 saves for the Lions. 

Columbia will now embark on its spring break trip, heading to Naples, Fla. for a neutral site game against the Niagara Purple Eagles on Sunday at the Paradise Sports Complex. First draw is set for 1 p.m.

For the latest on Columbia lacrosse, follow @CULionsLax on Twitter and Instagram, and on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.