Principia (MO) erased a six-point halftime deficit by turning up the defensive pressure and riding a dominant second-half performance from Quentin Coleman to pull off a major upset in the nightcap at the City of Palms.
The Wake Forest signee, playing under the watchful eye of his future head coach, poured in 31 points, taking over offensively as Principia flipped the momentum after a shaky first half. His scoring surge proved too much for Columbus, one of the pre-tournament favorites.
Coleman received strong support from Gassim Toure, who finished with 19 points and seven rebounds, while Sekou Cisse chipped in 11 points to round out a balanced effort.
For Columbus, Caleb Gaskins led the way with 23 points, and Marcellus Jackson added 17 points and seven rebounds, but the Cardinals couldn’t recover once Principia seized control in the second half.