NEW YORK — Behind a season-best 25 points from junior guard Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa, Columbia men's basketball completed its first season sweep over Dartmouth since 2016 with a 73-63 win over the Big Green on Friday night from Schiller Court at Levien Gymnasium.

Friday's double-digit win now gives Columbia (13-8, 4-4) three such victories. It's the second time the Lions have had three-straight double-digit victories since November 2014, with the other time coming earlier this season in November. Columbia now sits alone in fourth place in the Ivy League standings after Friday night's results across the conference.

"I was happy with the way our guys played," head coach Jim Engles said postgame on ESPN+. "It was a tough game, they wouldn't go away. We just had to respond every time they came back and I'm happy with the way our guys responded."

Columbia never trailed in the game and has won three-straight Ivy League games for the first time since March 2019. Dartmouth falls to 5-16 (1-7) and 0-11 on the road this season.

In addition to his season-high scoring performance, Rubio De La Rosa also posted five rebounds, five assists, five three-pointers, and a career-high five steals. The Santiago, Dominican Republic native is now 17 points away from becoming the 30th Lion to score 1,000 career points and the 16th to achieve the feat in his first three seasons.

"I was here early today getting shots up," said Rubio De La Rosa. "I just came and knocked them down."

Zavian McLean tallied an efficient 15 points, converting on 75 percent of his shots (6-8). Blair Thompson contributed eight points, five rebounds, three blocks, and two steals.

Columbia raced out to a 14-2 lead less than four minutes in, highlighted by a pair of three-pointers by McLean and a fast-break dunk by Avery Brown. Rubio De La Rosa and McLean combined for 22 of Columbia's 42 first half points.

Columbia's lead grew as large as a game-high 21 points with 7:42 left in the opening. Despite a 7-0 Dartmouth run, Columbia remained firmly in the driver's seat with a 42-25 advantage heading into the half. The Big Green only shot 34.5 percent (10-29) for the half thanks to the Lions' suffocating defense, which boasted seven steals and scored 15 points from Dartmouth's 11 turnovers.

Rubio De La Rosa then set the tone in the second half by hitting three more shots from behind the arc. 

"Geronimo played really well tonight," Engles said. "Everything centered around him and everyone was able to play around him."

A vicious Brown steal sent his defender flying and left him open to cash in his first three of the night, bringing the crowd to their feet with his second big highlight of the game. Dartmouth would manage to bring the deficit to single digits with 39 seconds left, but a made free throw from Thompson and a steal from Brown sealed the deal for the Lions.

Columbia is right back at home Saturday night for a 6 p.m. tip against Harvard.

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