Lions struggle in second half, fall to Yale

Yale was able to complete the season sweep of Columbia, winning 65-48.

The Lions struck first, with junior center Max Craig knocking down two free throws. After the Light Blue built a 15-10 lead, the Bulldogs responded with a 12-0 run to take a 22-15 lead. But freshman guard Brian Barbour final got Columbia back in the game with a 3-pointer with 4:09 left in the half.

The next player to score was sophomore guard Noruwa Agho, who knocked down a three to cut Yale’s lead to 24-21. The Bulldogs would eventually take a 29-26 lead at halftime.

In the first half, the Lions were successful on the boards, out-rebounding Yale 25-16. What plagued the Light Blue were turnovers, as it had nine in the first 20 minutes, resulting in nine points for Yale.

After intermission, the Lions took a 36-33 lead, but they weren’t able to maintain it. A 14-0 run by the Bulldogs gave them a 47-36 lead with 9:22 to play. Columbia started to come back though, cutting Yale’s lead to 54-46 with about three and a half minutes to play.

But the Light Blue could not close it out, as it continued to miss crucial shots down the stretch.

The Lions will be in action again tomorrow at Brown.