Basketball's New Game Plan: Win It in the Second Half

Columbia ran into the locker room during its Ivy opener Saturday in a familiar position—within striking distance to its opponent. But for the first time in recent memory, there was a sense of inevitability that the Lions would pull the game out in the end. And after Cornell tipped in a buzzer-beater shot to go ahead 36-34 at intermission, Columbia went on a 12-2 run in the middle of the second half, topping the Big Red 70-61 by the end of regulation.

The Lions, who have won four of their past five games, have often found themselves close or behind their opponents at halftime, and have sealed their victories in the second half. In the team’s 14 games this season, the Lions have outscored their opponents by an average of 35-29 in the second half but have essentially tied their opponents going into intermission.

Against Cornell, Columbia (10-4, 1-0 Ivy) appeared lethargic in the first 20 minutes, committing costly turnovers and allowing Cornell’s sharpshooters to keep the score tight.

Sophomore guard Dalen Cuff drained a pair of threes with about 16 minutes remaining to cut Cornell’s lead to two and spark the run.

“We just wanted to put our guys in a position where we could be effective,” head coach Joe Jones said. “We turned the ball over too much.”

During the remaining 15 minutes, the Lions showed just how potent they could be, using an effective transition game, sharp perimeter shooting, and opportunistic defense to seal the win over a weaker Cornell team.

“We had to step up the intensity level,” first-year point guard Brett Loscalzo said. “As they got tired, we kept going.”

The Lions have been able to outlast several of their other opponents this season, winning games in the final minutes.

In the team’s home opener against Longwood, the team walked into the locker room facing a six-point deficit after being down by as many as 11. But they outscored the Lancers 48-29 in the second half en route to an 82-69 win.

Days later, against Sacred Heart, Columbia trailed at the half before winning 76-67.

The team also kept scores close against St. Francis, Lehigh, Army, and Navy before taking command in the second half.

In each of these games, a different tandem of scorers led the team.

“We’ve got different guys step up every single night,” Jones said.

Preston’s 15 points per game for the Lions come as standard fare, but first-years such as Loscalzo, Kashif Sweet, and Mack Montgomery have all contributed. Loscalzo leads the team with three assists per game, followed closely by Sweet.

Lozcalzo contributed a career-high 19 points against Canisius in the consolation round of the Madison Square Garden holiday tournament. The Lions, who were down by their second-widest margin of the year at halftime, clawed back from a 33-26 intermission deficit to win 64-58. In that game, senior forward Matt Preston posted a solid 12 points as the Lions used a late rally to win the team’s second game at the Garden.

Columbia has defined itself this season in the second half, often outplaying opponents and showing their true potential in this period, but as the team gets deeper into the conference schedule, just keeping pace in the first half will not be enough.