BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) Matt Preston scored 17 points and Columbia used a 10-1 run late in the game to put away Lehigh 75-61 on Monday Night.
Jeremiah Boswell added 13 points and Dragutin Keavic chipped in 12 in the wire-to-wire win for Columbia (4-1).
A foul shot by Lehigh's Jose Olivero cut Columbia's lead to 64-58 with 3:41 to go, but Preston sparked the Lions' decisive run with a layup on an assist from Boswell. Keavic added three points during the run, which was capped by a pair of foul shot by Dalen Cuff that made the score 74-59 with 43 seconds to go.
Lehigh (3-4) was led by Joe Knight, who scored 18 points and Erik Smith, who added 10.
Columbia opened the game with a 14-0 run in the first four minutes of the first half and stretched its lead to 35-15 with 6:31 left in the half.
But the Mountain Hawks responded with a 22-6 run to pull to 41-37 at the half.
Columbia slowly built a 57-47 lead with 8:36 to go, and again Lehigh responded and pulled close but was never able to take the lead.
Lehigh shot just 4-of-17 from the floor in the second half and 14-of-45 for the game. The Lions, meanwhile, shot 25-of-47 from the floor and 9-of-21 from beyond the 3-point line for the game.
