Harris Walker

The Columbia men’s basketball team (6-14) continued to struggle on the road as the team dropped games against both Yale (16-4) and Brown (9-8). While the result was the same in both contests, the Lions put out very different performances in each matchup.

In Saturday’s 62-50 loss to the Cornell Big Red, the Lions fell prey to one of the defining issues of the season––their inability to win on the road.

While most Columbia students packed their bags and headed home for a chance to relax after a stressful finals period, for the athletes whose sports compete during some of the coldest months of the year, winter break does not offer that same respite. Men’s basketball is one of the teams kept busy over the break.

Men’s basketball fell to the Bryant University Bulldogs (6-4) in heartbreaking fashion on Friday. The Lions squandered an opportunity to win the game in the closing seconds by allowing a turnover, leading to a breakaway dunk by Bryant’s Mikail Simmons to put the Bulldogs up 67-65.

After a four-game road trip during which the Columbia men’s basketball team finished 1-3 and was defeated by an average of 20.33 points in each loss, the Lions picked up a much-needed 68-64 win over the Lehigh University Mountain Hawks at Levien Gymnasium on Saturday, Nov. 30.

Each season marks a new start for Columbia Athletics. Players are given another chance to realize their full potential, and teams are invigorated with hopes of winning championship titles. The actions of individuals and their teams define the culture of Columbia Athletics for years to come; these are the moments that characterized the fall 2019 season.

As the clock hit zero inside Schoellkopf Field, the mood on the Columbia sideline was different from that of other blowouts. More than just being the end of a quiet offensive game, or of a disappointing season overall, this loss felt like the end of an important transitionary era in Columbia football.

With its season coming to a close, Football has one final chance to try to find a silver lining in a season that has not gone as planned. If this Saturday’s bout against the Cornell Big Red is anything like last year’s, the Lions could once again enter the off-season feeling optimistic for what’s ahead.

In the wake of numerous player injuries, issues with scheduling, and an inability to move the ball downfield at times, the Lions have had their fair share of valid reasons for their 3-5 start to the season. However, the matchup on Saturday was set to be a surefire win for Columbia’s football team as Brown has not won an Ivy League game since the 2016 season.

“It’s good to be home.” This was head coach Jim Engles’ main takeaway from the Lions’ home opener for the 2019-2020 season.