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2025 MBB Senior Night
Columbia University Athletics / Josh Wang
92
Winner Penn Penn 8-18,4-9 Ivy League
87
Columbia CU 12-14,1-12 Ivy League
Winner
Penn Penn
8-18,4-9 Ivy League
92
Final
87
Columbia CU
12-14,1-12 Ivy League
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Penn Penn 49 43 92
Columbia CU 39 48 87

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Noland Scores Career-High 21 Points, Men’s Basketball Drops Home Finale to Penn

The Lions fell by five points for the second straight night; Thompson records double-double

NEW YORK — Columbia men's basketball fell to Penn, 92-87, on Saturday night in its home finale inside Schiller Court at Levien Gymnasium.

The Lions (12-14, 1-12) recognized seniors Jaden Cooper, Robbie Stankard, Noah Robledo, Jake Tavroff, and Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa in a pregame ceremony. Rubio De La Rosa, Tavroff, and Robledo scored 13, nine, and six, respectively in their last bout in front of the Lions' faithful.

Kenny Noland led the Lions with a career-high 21 points. Blair Thompson recorded his third double-double of the season with 18 points and 12 rebounds.

Penn's Sam Brown scored 42 points on 14-of-20 (.700) shooting from the field and 4-of-6 (.667) from three. The Quakers (8-18, 4-9 Ivy) led the entire game.

Penn blitzed the Lions with a 20-4 run out of the gate, making eight of their first ten shots and four out of five threes. Columbia stormed back to get within three several times, the last time being at 28-31 with 5:52 left in the first half. However, Penn reestablished some wiggle room to emerge from the half up 49-39.

The Lions made no leeway for the first ten minutes of the second half. With 8:02 to go, Robledo splashed a three to bring Columbia within six. Brown scored 14 straight for Penn, but Columbia stayed within striking distance. 

With 33 seconds left, Thompson grabbed an offensive rebound and scored the putback to make it 86-82. Immediately after, Rubio De La Rosa stole the ball and cashed a three-pointer to put the Lions within one. The two teams exchanged free throws before the Lions forced Penn to use their last timeout after trapping their ball handler with 18.7 left. 

Penn made two more free throws, and the Lions had to bring the ball up and make a three. With nine seconds left, Rubio De La Rosa had a good look for the tie, but his shot struck the rim.

Columbia closes out the season next Saturday at Cornell. Tip-off from Newman Arena is set for 2 p.m.

Follow The Lions
For the latest on Columbia men's basketball, follow @CULionsMBB on X, Instagram or on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
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