DURHAM, N.H. — Columbia men’s basketball had its six-game winning streak snapped at New Hampshire with an 80-71 loss at Lundholm Gymnasium on Sunday afternoon.

The Lions (6-3) were led by Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa’s team-high 19 points. The junior guard has now scored in double-figures in eight out of nine games this season. Blair Thompson added 16 points and eight rebounds while Avery Brown chipped in 11 points and pulled in a career-high eight rebounds.

New Hampshire (6-3) had five of its seven scorers on Sunday notch double-figures. Ahmad Robinson led the way, posting a game-high 24 points on 7-15 shooting. Columbia shot 38.7 percent to New Hampshire’s 37.5 percent. The Lions were 15-18 from the free-throw line and outrebounded the Wildcats, 47-42.

Columbia opened a quick 7-2 lead three minutes into the game. The two teams went back and forth with Columbia holding onto a 25-24 lead into the under-8 media timeout following a Rubio De La Rosa three-pointer plus the foul.

Later in the half, both teams went scoreless for three minutes until there were 48 seconds before the break and Kenny Noland hit two free throws. Josh Odunowo‘s putback as the clock was expiring helped Columbia take a 35-28 lead into the locker room. New Hampshire didn’t hit a field goal over the final 4:11 of the opening half.

The Wildcats trimmed Columbia’s lead out of the break, trailing 40-37 just four minutes into the second half. New Hampshire would grab its first lead since midway through the first half at 45-44 with 13:34 remaining in the game. 

New Hampshire opened a 65-58 lead with just over 5 minutes left in the game following a brief 7-0 run. Brown laid in a bucket to kill the momentum and make it a five-point game.

Back-to-back three-pointers from the Wildcats expanded their lead to eight with 1:48 to go and Columbia couldn’t come back. The game featured eight ties and 13 lead changes and neither team led by more than nine points.

Columbia returns home to face Lafayette on Tuesday at 7 p.m. from Schiller Court at Levien Gymnasium. Click here or call 888-LIONS-11 to purchase tickets.

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