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In a season of raised expectations due to the arrivals of Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, Rutgers is experiencing some underwhelming moments.

Off to a mediocre start through 12 games, Rutgers faces a tough test in its final nonconference game Monday night when it hosts Columbia in Piscataway, N.J.

Rutgers (7-5) is hoping to avoid a second straight loss to an Ivy League opponent, and the Lions (11-1) are off to a better start than Princeton (9-4), which beat the Scarlet Knights on Dec. 21 in Newark, N.J.

Four of the Scarlet Knights’ losses are by five points or fewer, including a two-point loss to Kennesaw State and the 83-82 defeat to Princeton when it gave up a last-second basket along with 19 offensive rebounds and 23 second-chance points. It was the sixth time Rutgers allowed at least 80 points this season and it is 2-4 in those games.

“I thought we played hard and did some good things out there, but a lot of second shots and just gotta be one possession better,” Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell said. “We scored plenty of points to win.”

Harper scored 22 points and has scored at least 20 in four straight games and 10 of 12. Bailey collected 15 points and 12 rebounds but has shot less than 50 percent in five of his past eight games after making 6 of 16 shots vs. Princeton.

Columbia has lost the past 10 meetings and is seeking its second win over a power-conference opponent. The Lions earned a 90-80 win at Villanova on Nov. 6 and are on a three-game winning streak since a 15-point loss to Albany on Dec. 4.

Columbia is averaging 83.3 points so far and scored at least 80 for the ninth time when it shot a season-beat 57.7 percent (30 of 52) in Saturday’s 85-72 win over Fairfield.

The Lions are led by Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa, whose 19.6 scoring average is third in the Ivy League. Rubio De La Rosa is also shooting 53.7 percent and is second in the Ivy League at 46.4 percent from 3-point range.

Rubio De La Rosa has scored at least 20 points seven times, including a 27-point outing against Fairfield when he shot 8-of-15 after a scoreless opening half. Rubio De La Rosa also scored 22 in Columbia’s win over Villanova.

“With the break we had we just need to get into it, I wasn’t surprised we were so slow in the first half,” Columbia coach Jim Engles said. “Now we got to play top-five draft picks, so that’s bad scheduling.”

–Field Level Media