As the only conference in the country that sends its regular-season champion to the NCAA Tournament, February games in the Ivy League are unlike the rest of the country’s.
There is no conference tournament to make up for an off performance. A bad night can decide a season; just ask Columbia.
Eight days ago, the Lions were tied atop the Ivy League, looking like they could reach the tournament for the first time since 1968. But now, two games behind league leader Yale and one back of Princeton with six to go, they likely need to be perfect and get some help to even have a chance at dancing.
“It’s definitely a lot more pressure,” senior Alex Rosenberg said after Columbia’s heart-breaking 88-83 overtime loss to Princeton in front of a sold-out crowd at Levien Gymnasium on the Upper West Side on Saturday night.
“We’ve been through it, Grant [Mullins] and I. It’s our fourth year. We understand the pressure, every game, especially home games are crucial.
“It’s really a terrible feeling to [lose one].”
Saturday was a bitter pill to swallow. Columbia blew a seven-point lead in the extra session with 2:06 left and a 12-point edge in regulation. In fact, the Lions were up eight with 3:48 to go in the second half, before Princeton closed on a 17-9 run, capped by Devin Cannady’s 35-foot 3-pointer from deep on the right wing with 3.3 seconds left that forced overtime.
Still, the Lions rebounded in overtime, scoring the first seven points, five by senior guard Grant Mullins (19 points, 12 rebounds). But Princeton got the final 12, stunning the home crowd as Columbia went ice-cold, matching the frigid temperatures outside the warm gym.
“I think you get one of those [wins] a season,” Princeton coach Mitch Henderson said. “We were really lucky tonight.”
Columbia (17-8, 6-2 Ivy) hasn’t been lucky enough since 1968. On Saturday, it always seemed a few baskets away from pulling away, baskets that would never come. Princeton attempted 18 more free throws, negating the Lions committing just six turnovers. Senior stars Maodo Lo (19 points) and Rosenberg (18) struggled, shooting a combined 14-of-38. Rosenberg missed a crucial free throw with 17 seconds to go, and also committed a turnover in the final minutes of regulation.
“We wanted it badly,” Columbia coach Kyle Smith said. “We just didn’t get it done.”
All, however, is not quite lost. Columbia still faces the two teams it trails in the standings — Princeton (16-5, 6-1) and Yale — once apiece, and has four of its final six at home.
“We only have six games left — six games we have to win to give us a chance,” Rosenberg said.