Columbia shocks Villanova, 75-57

It is no mystery that Villanova was going to struggle early in the season. But when they struggled in past years, the Wildcats usually were deep enough to find someone to carry them past a team such as Columbia.

However, the Lions found Tuesday night that an extra pass can get you an open three-point look against the Wildcats' defense, and that you can pack in a zone defense and dare Villanova's outside shooters to make a shot from beyond the arc.

Columbia sank 11 three-point baskets while the Wildcats managed to hit just 3 of 17 attempts from deep, and that was a big part of the Lions' stunning 75-57 upset of Villanova at the Pavilion.

The Wildcats (3-2) hadn't lost to an Ivy League team not named Penn since 1978. But they committed 12 turnovers in the first half, shot 32.3 percent from the field in the second, and were buried when Columbia (3-1) sank its last 18 free throws - or two more than 'Nova made in 10 more chances.

"It's never as bad as it seems," Cats coach Jay Wright said. "I wouldn't say that I expected this at all. But you know it's always possible when you turn the ball over and you don't make free throws. We turned the ball over a lot. When you do that and you don't make free throws, you can lose to a good team."

The Lions, who were the consensus third-best team in the Ivy League in a preseason poll behind Princeton and Harvard, won on a night when their best player, point guard Brian Barbour, shot just 1 of 12 from the field and missed all eight of his three-point tries.

Barbour still contributed 14 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and three steals, doing a great job of setting the table for Alex Rosenberg (21 points), Steve Frankoski (15), and Grant Mullins (14).

James Bell led the Wildcats with 13 points, and freshman Ryan Arcidiacono added 11. But Villanova got little from its big men - Mouphtaou Yarou, Daniel Ochefu, and JayVaughn Pinkston played for just 13 minutes combined in the second half.

"We had so many possessions where we got it inside, got fouled, missed the free throw, or got it inside, turned the ball over," Wright said. "That's how we started the game. You just can't do that against a team like this that can really pass the ball, make free throws, and make threes."

Trailing, 26-22, at the half, the Wildcats fell behind by 12 midway through the second period but looked ready to rally after twice drawing to within five points.

But Mullins hit back-to-back threes to build the lead, and Columbia finished the game with perfect free-throw shooting.