Basketball Recap: Friday's Defeat Ends Columbia's Winning Streak

Blue Devils

Previous 5 Games

01/31/25 @ Albany	58-67
01/24/25 @ Niskayuna	73-54
01/17/25 vs Averill Park	72-54
01/10/25 vs Shenendehowa	65-51
01/07/25 @ Saratoga Springs	56-36

After a string of 13 wins, Columbia's good fortune finally ran out on Friday. They fell 67-58 to the Albany Falcons. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as the Blue Devils came into the game with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' New York basketball rankings (they are ranked sixth, while the Falcons are ranked 50th).

Albany's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Azera Gates, who posted 19 points along with five assists and three steals. Another player making a difference was Gabby Taylor, who went 6 for 14 en route to 17 points.

Columbia's loss was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 8-1 and their overall record down to 14-2. As for Albany, they pushed their record up to 12-3 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home.

Columbia has already played their next match (against Guilderland), but no score has been uploaded at the time of writing. Albany will venture away from home to square off against St. Mary's at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. St. Mary's will roll in looking for their sixth straight victory, something Albany surely won't give up without a fight.