Portland defeats Columbia 69-52

Nov 23, 2013, 12:40 am

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Thomas van der Mars scored a game-high 14 points to lead Portland to a 69-52 victory over Columbia on Friday night.

Van der Mars was 7 of 8 from the field and led the Pilots (2-2) with six rebounds. Kevin Bailey scored 13 points and Ryan Nicholas chipped in with 12. Portland shot 49 percent from the field and sank 60 percent from the line.

Portland led 35-27 at the half and started the second period by scoring eight unanswered points in the first five minutes, giving the Pilots a comfortable 16-point lead. Both teams finished strong but the Lions (2-2) could not close the gap.

Accuracy was an issue for Columbia which was just 29.5 percent from the field. The team leader for Columbia was Maodo Lo with 10 points and three rebounds.