Despite Dixon's 33 points, Villanova lost to Columbia 90-80

Eric Dixon dropped 33 points on 11 of 16 shooting, six rebounds and three steals in his season debut, but it was all for naught as Villanova lost 90-80 to Columbia on Wednesday night.

Dixon started the game hot, but the Wildcats were never able to break away or take control of the game and seemingly always had to respond in a back-and-forth battle with the Lions.

Jordan Longino made a layup to give Villanova a 53-52 lead with 13:23 to play.

After Longino's basket, Columbia went on a 17-5 run that spanned nearly seven minutes. Kenny Noland hit a second-chance basket after a Villanova turnover to start the run before it was capped by two free throws from Noah Robledo to give the Lions a 69-58 lead with 6:38 left.

The Wildcats were unable to erase the deficit, and the Lions were able to reach double figures and lead by as many as 13 points in the final minutes of the game.

The Lions took a 39-37 halftime lead after a crucial three-pointer from Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa.

The Wildcats allowed 12 turnovers, which led to Columbia recording 21 turnovers.

In addition to Dixon, Wooga Poplar had 16 points, seven boards, one block and one steal. Jordan Longino finished the game with 14 points on 4 of 13 shooting, with three boards, three assists and one steal.

Dixon became the 35th player in Villanova history to surpass 1,500 points. He climbed to 32nd place all-time, passing Phil Booth and Darrun Hilliard in the process.

Villanova shot 27 of 60 (45.0%) overall and 11 of 32 (34.4%) from deep.

For Columbia, Rubio De La Rosa scored 22 points, four assists and three steals. He played a turnover-free game and was a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line. Avery Brown added 18 points, three assists and two steals. Kenny Noland had 14 points, five boards and three steals. Noah Rubledo contributed twelve points off the bench.

Columbia shot 29 of 54 (53.7%) overall and 8 of 24 (33.3%) from distance. The Lions shot the ball better in the second half and got to the line more often. Columbia was 14 of 24 (58.3%) and 21 of 22 (95.5%) on foul shots in the second half.

It was the first time Columbia scored 90 points against an opponent since a 98-96 three-overtime loss to Harvard on Feb. 8, 2019. It was also the first time the Lions lost by 90 points in regulation since their 90-68 win over Bryant on December 7, 2018.

Villanova falls to 1-1 overall and will return to action on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET against visiting NJIT. The last time the Wildcats played Columbia at the Pavilion in 2012, the Lions also emerged victorious with a score of 75-57.