Gamecenter: Dartmouth 48, Columbia 44

1st 2nd Final
Columbia (9-14, 3-6 Ivy) 15 29 44
Dartmouth (5-18, 1-8 Ivy) 17 31 48
Leede Arena, Hanover, NH
Attendance – 411
Boxscore
 
Keys to the Game
Key sequence Freshman center Matt LaBove hit the evening’s first two baskets, David Rufful scored on a putback and Ronnie Dixon canned a 3-pointer from the left side as Dartmouth opened the game with a 9-0 run and kept Columbia off the scoreboard until the 10:27 mark. Buoyed by the strong start in search of its first Ivy League win, the Big Green would never trail, although Columbia did forge one tie at 44-all with 2:42 remaining.
Key sign it was over With Dartmouth clinging to a 46-44 lead, Columbia’s Niko Scott drove just above the foul line and put up a jumper with 22 seconds left that could have tied the game. Instead it was the 6-foot-1 Dixon anticipating the shot and going up to block the attempt by the 6-3 Scott. Dixon recovered the ball and was fouled by Kevin Bulger. After hitting the first with 15.8 seconds left to make it a three-point game he knocked down the second to make it a two-possession contest. When Scott’s 3-pointer with seven seconds missed, the issue was decided.
Key performance Dartmouth guard Ronnie Dixon had 11 points and a career high eight rebounds along with the key block shot.
Key statistic Dartmouth has struggled to score inside all year but on this night Clive Weeden scored 12 points (and had five rebounds) while Matt LaBove had seven points (and five rebounds). The two were a combined 8-for-12 from the field.
 
Notes

– Columbia sharpshooter Noruwa Agho was just 1-for-10 from outside the arc and 2-for-12 overall in the game.

– Both teams finished with 2-to-1 turnover-to-assist ratios in the sloppy game. Columbia had 12 giveaways and six helpers. Dartmouth had 16 of one and eight of the other.

– Eight minutes into the contest the teams were a combined 3-for-18 from the field with 11 turnovers.

– The Lion starters were a combined 9-for-35 (25.7 percent) shooting from the field while Dartmouth’s starters were 17-for-31 (54.8 percent).

– The teams combined for more turnovers than field goals in the first half (19 turnovers, 15 field goals). Columbia had nine turnovers and seven baskets while Dartmouth had 10 turnovers to eight baskets.

– Columbia was a woeful 2-for-23 from 3-point range and just 6-for-12 from the line.

– The win was the 300th in Ivy League play for Dartmouth since former Ancient Eight competition began in 1954-55.

– Columbia shot 31 percent from the field and is now 1-13 when hitting less than 45 percent of its field goal attempts. The Lions also were outrebounded, 37-34, and are now 1-12 when the opponent has the advantage off glass.

– Dartmouth had lost its last seven games. The Big Green has lost at least five consecutive games at least once in each of the last 13 seasons.

– How big was Dartmouth’s two-point lead at the half? The Big Green is 0-15 this year when trailing at the break.

– Dartmouth hit 44.2 percent of its attempts from the field and is now 5-0 when making 41 percent or better.

– In the stands was former Dartmouth center Walter Palmer, the Utah Jazz top pick in the 1990 NBA draft. The 7-foot-1 Palmer now splits his time between Germany (where he spent most of his career after two seasons with the Jazz and the Dallas Mavericks) running a player’s association for European pro basketball players as well as some other athletes.

Bruce Wood

Bruce Wood wrote 37 posts

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