Box Score Box Score
ITHACA, N.Y. -- Columbia earned a season sweep of Cornell for the first time in nine seasons when it held on a for a 70-66 victory over the Big Red on Saturday afternoon at Newman Arena. Cornell fell to 4-12 (0-2 Ivy) with the loss, while Columbia improved to 11-5 (2-0 Ivy).
Chris Wroblewski (16 points, five rebounds, three assists) and Aaron Osgood (16 points, six rebounds) led the Big Red offense, while Errick Peck (10 points, six rebounds, three steals, two assists, two blocked shots) also hit for double figures. Cornell shots just 19 percent from 3-point range (3-of-16) and were chased off the line effectively all night by the Lions. Adam Wire played an outstanding floor game with eight points, seven rebounds and two steals without a turnover in 32 minutes.
The Lions got 23 big points from Brian Barbour, who made tough shot after tough shot to keep Cornell from running away with the game in the second half. Meiko Lyles added 10 points in 16 minutes off the bench as the only other Lion in double figures. Leading scorer Noruwa Agho was limited to 1-of-12 shooting by the Big Red defense, but the junior was able to end the night with six points, six rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots. Columbia shot 50 percent from the floor in the first half and 43 percent for the game, but just 3-of-15 from beyond the arc.
The Big Red led by as many as 10 points early after jumping out to a 17-7 edge on a jumper by Wroblewski. The Lions tied the game at 21-21 before an 11-2 run that featured a pair of transition baskets, including a 3-pointer by Jake Matthews, gave the home squad a 32-23 edge with six minutes to play in the half. The visitors got back within two late on a dunk by John Daniels, but Miles Asafo-Adjei ran down the court and was fouled with one second on the clock. He hit the first of his two charity attempts to send the home team into the locker room leading 40-37.
The lead never went past five for Cornell in the second half, and the game featured six ties in the final 15 minutes, with the last coming at 61-61 after Ferry hit a short runner in the lane on a play that was made by Wire. Less than 45 seconds later, Wroblewski gave Cornell its final lead when his driving basket gave the Big Red a 63-61 advantage.
Daniels hit a 16-footer to knot the score, then gave the visitors a lead with 1:14 left on two free throws by the sophomore to go up 65-63.
With under a minute to play, Cornell went to Peck, who got into the lane but had his shot blocked by Agho. The Lions rebounded, and after drawing a foul, extended the lead to four on a pair of Agho free throws. A missed 3-pointer gave the ball back to Columbia and Barbour canned a pair of shots from the stripe with 10 seconds remaining to go up 69-63. Wroblewski hit a late 3-pointer, but it wasn't enough to get Cornell back in position to tie.
The Big Red hit the road for its first league road weekend when it visits Dartmouth on Friday, Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. and Harvard on Saturday, Jan. 29 at 6 p.m.
