Lycoming News

The University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team secured a 93-78 victory over Columbia at The Palestra on Saturday. Despite losing a 13-point lead in the first half and leading by only two points at halftime, Penn surged ahead with a strong start in the second half. The Quakers scored the first six points after the break and followed up with a 13-1 run, establishing a 19-point lead within eight minutes.

This win marks Penn's second consecutive Ivy League victory, improving their league record to 2-2 and overall standing to 6-11. Columbia remains winless in league play with an 0-4 record and stands at 11-6 overall.

Penn's performance was highlighted by their three-point shooting, achieving a season-best percentage of 51.4% from beyond the arc by making 18 out of 35 attempts. This set a program record for three-pointers against a Division I opponent.

Sophomore Sam Brown led Penn with a career-high of 30 points, including eight three-pointers, tying him for second place on the program's individual single-game list. Junior Ethan Roberts recorded his fourth double-double of the season with 15 points and ten rebounds. Senior George Smith matched his season highs in points and rebounds while adding four assists.

Columbia's Avery Brown scored 19 points, while Kenny Noland contributed 16 points along with six assists and three steals. Geronimo Rubio de la Rosa, Columbia's leading scorer, missed most of the second half due to injury after scoring seven points and securing four steals.

Looking ahead, Penn will continue its Ivy League homestand next weekend against Brown on Friday evening and Yale on Saturday night.