ITHACA, N.Y. -- A 30-12 second-half run turned the tide and lifted Columbia to a 104-99 victory in the Ivy League opener on Monday afternoon at Newman Arena. The Lions improved to 12-3 (1-0 Ivy), while the Big Red slipped to 7-7 (0-1 Ivy).

The decisive spurt allowed the Lions to turn a nine-point deficit into a nine-point lead on the way to snapping Cornell's seven-game home win streak overall and nine-game stretch of victories over the Lions. Cornell made a couple of late surges, getting back within four, but could not cut the contest to a single possession after several late turnovers.

The Big Red offense saw six players reach double figures, with senior Cooper Noard pacing the team with 23 points and added five rebounds and three assists. Senior Jake Fiegen added 17 points, classmate Josh Baldwin had 15 points to go along with six rebounds and four assists and junior Ian Imegwu had 15 points in just five minutes of action, knocking down five of the team's 15 3-pointers on the night. Both Adam Hinton and Jacob Beccles rounded out the double figure scorers with 10 apiece. Cornell, which entered the game leading the nation in both 3-point field goals and assists broke its averages with 15 and 28, respectively, but surrendered 55 percent shooting on the other end, including 67 percent in the first half

Blair Thompson led Columbia with 26 points, going a perfect 12-for-12 from the foul line, while Kenny Noland added 23 points, five assists and three steals. Hampton Sanders came off the bench to score 17 points on 5-for-5 shooting, including three 3-pointers, all coming in the first half. The Lions shot 28-for-33 at the free-throw line, using the decisive late run to break a tie game in the final minutes.  



The game was tied 56-56 at halftime after a frenetic opening 20 minutes that featured 12 lead changes and neither team leading by more than seven. Cornell rode its perimeter shooting early, hitting 10 first-half 3-pointers, while Columbia countered with efficiency inside and trips to the foul line. The second half followed a similar script, with the teams trading baskets and momentum deep into the period. Cornell built its largest lead at 72-63 with just over 12 minutes remaining, but Columbia answered with a surge keyed by Noland and Thompson to regain control.

With the score tied at 76-76 at the 7:27 mark, Columbia scored 14 of the next 18 points to post a double-figure lead. Noland buried consecutive 3-pointers to spark the stretch, and Thompson finished repeatedly in transition and at the line as the Lions pushed the margin to double digits.

Cornell made one final push, trimming the deficit to four on a 3-pointer by Fiegen and got within five points twice in the final 30 seconds, but Columbia sealed the game at the free-throw line to close out the win.

NEXT UP
• Cornell closes out its three-game home stand when it welcomes Dartmouth to Newman Arena on Saturday, Jan. 10 at 2 p.m.
• The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
• Cornell won two of three meetings between the teams last season, including an 87-71 Big Red victory in the Ivy Tournament semifinals.
• The Big Red holds a 119-110 advantage in the all-time series and has won six of the past seven contests.