University of Albany

Score: UAlbany 78, Columbia 75
 
Location: Levien Gymnasium in New York City
 
Records: UAlbany (1-1) | Columbia (0-2)
 
Short Story: Sebastian Thomas scores 24 and Jonathan Beagle records a double-double to hold off Columbia's late rally and secure men's basketball's first victory of the 2023-24 season.
 
Key Stats

• Sebastian Thomas led all scorers with 24 points
• Jonathan Beagle recorded a double-double, scoring 20 points with 10 rebounds, while shooting 9-12 from the floor
• Four Great Danes scored in double figures
• UAlbany outrebounded Columbia 40-25
• UAlbany scored 40 points in the paint, 19 off of second-chance opportunities, and 17 in transition
• Columbia shot 22-24 from the free throw line

Head Coach Dwayne Killings: "We talked about coming out fast and ready to go.  We came on the road against a good Columbia team that did some really nice things against Providence.  I thought we controlled the game for the most part.  We got a little tentative down the stretch and made a couple mistakes, but it's hard to be in those situations for the first time.  We come out with a really good road win.  We're going to take it and run with it, and now we have to build on it."
 
How it Happened

• The University at Albany men's basketball team continued its season-opening road swing, visiting Ivy League rival Columbia on Saturday night.  The Great Danes had won each of the last seven games in the series against the lions, but both team were seeking their first victory of the early season.
• UAlbany got off to a quick start when Amar'e Marshall forced a turnover and broke down the court for a fast break dunk to put the Great Danes up 2-0 right away.  A few plays later, Aaron Reddish, coming off the bench Saturday night, recorded a big rejection of the Lions' Blair Thompson.
• UAlbany used a 9-0 run over 1:20 of game time to build a 23-17 lead while holding the Lions scoreless for more than two minutes.  Jonathan Beagle dunked home a pass from the perimeter from Sebastian Thomas, after which Columbia called a timeout to interrupt the Great Danes' momentum.  After starting the game 0-5, Beagle had hit each of his next three attempts from the field.
• Tyler Bertram hit a three right after the timeout to extend UAlbany's run to 12-0.  Columbia finally scored after a drought lasting nearly four-and-a-half minutes of game time.
• Marcus Jackson, making his season debut, hit a three to put the Great Danes up 11 points, 33-22, with just over four minutes remaining in the first half.  It was UAlbany's 12th field goal of the evening, and the seventh on which they had recorded an assist.
• UAlbany held a 41-29 lead at halftime.  The Great Danes had shot 44.1% from the floor in the first half, including 45.5% from behind the arc.  UAlbany had outrebounded Columbia 24-15, grabbing six boards off the offensive glass.  UAlbany scored 20 of its 41 first-half points in the paint, and 10 off of second-chance opportunities.
• Bertram hit a jumper to start the second half and put the Great Danes ahead 43-29.  Columbia responded with a 9-0 run over the next 2:31 to cut UAlbany's lead to 43-38.  Two minutes later, Columbia had closed further to within four, forcing a UAlbany timeout.
• Holding a 47-43 lead, UAlbany went on a 7-0 in less than a minute to take a nine-point lead with 13:08 left in the second half.  Columbia ended the Great Danes' run with a layup, and-one, from Thompson with 12:00 on the clock.  By this point in the game, Thomas had scored 16 points and Beagle had scored 14, on 7-10 shooting, to go along with nine rebounds.
• With 10:00 on the clock, UAlbany committed its 10th team foul of the second half, putting Columbia in the double-bonus for the remainder of the game.  The Lions had shot 14-14 from the line to that point.
• More made free-throws for Columbia brought the Lions within three with 9:13 remaining.  Beagle recorded his 10th rebound to complete his first double-double of the season with 8:41 left in on the clock.
• Columbia's run ended at 8-0 after Marshall drive for a layup to put UAlbany back up by five.
• Beagle put UAlbany up by seven, 63-56, with 7:28 remaining.  Columbia countered with another pair of free throws on the ensuing possession.
• After Columbia closed back within five, Bertram hit his third three-pointer of the evening to put UAlbany ahead by eight with 4:06 left on the clock.
• In the final minutes, Columbia used a 6-0 run to tie the game at 75 with 45 seconds remaining.  A missed free throw led to Thomas giving UAlbany back the lead, 77-75, forcing a Columbia timeout with 19.6 left.
• Columbia held for the final shot, generating a look from three that missed the mark and landed out of bounds, giving UAlbany the ball.  Marshall was fouled on the Great Danes ensuing possession, and hit one of two free throws to extend the lead to three with just over two seconds remaining.  Columbia's final effort from half court missed, and UAlbany held on to win, 78-75.
• The Great Danes saw four players score in double figures, led once again by Thomas, who finished the night with 24 points.  Beagle finished with 20 points, on 9-12 shooting, with 10 rebounds.  Forty of UAlbany's 78 points were scored in the paint.

Next: UAlbany visits Seton Hall on November 15.