The Columbia girls basketball team got much closer the second time around, but still did not get the result they were looking for on Thursday night. The visiting Shabazz girls, ranked No. 1 in the state, escaped from South Orange Middle School with a 47-44 win, sweeping the regular season series from Columbia.

"I'm not happy. You're never happy with a loss, especially when you have opportunities to win," said Columbia girls head coach Johanna Wright. "We didn't hit the boards the way we should've hit the boards. We didn't take care of the ball. When you don't take care of the ball and you don't get rebounds, you don't win."

With a bit more than three minutes left to play, a three-pointer from the top corner from Columbia's India Crawley tied the score at 42. But, as was the case for the entire game, the Cougars could not get over the hump and take the lead. Shabazz converted on three free throws and a layup, and held the Cougars to just one basket in the final three minutes of play to hold on for the victory.

Columbia had a chance to tie the contest after two successful free throws from Shabazz's Ka-Deidre Simmons put the visiting Bulldogs up 47-44. But a travelling call on the Cougars with 12.2 seconds left effectively ended Columbia's final chance at the last shot at a quality final possession.

The big difference in the contest was Shabazz's ability to dominate the glass, and Columbia's inability to hold onto the ball. The Cougars turned the ball over 19 times, 12 of which came from Shabazz steals. They were out-rebounded, 24-17, including an 8-4 difference in the final quarter.

"The rebounding was horrible, it was probably our worst rebounding effort all season and we didn't take care of the ball," Wright said. "That's a testament to Shabazz. They were bigger, they were stronger, they were more physical."

Columbia fell behind early on and were down 17-6 in the first quarter, but a buzzer beating three-point shot at the end of the opening quarter by Shaina Earle brought the Cougars within eight and sparked a 13-2 run, which tied the game at 19 with under four minutes to play. After a second buzzer beater by Earle to end the opening half, the Cougars were down 23-21 at the break.

"There was a great effort on the part of the girls. They didn't die," Wright said. "They were on us the first quarter, we had to fight our way back."

The third quarter was very back and forth, with neither team able to put together any super lengthy runs. Columbia ended the third quarter on an 8-0 stretch, culminated by a three-pointer by Marcelyn Williams with under 10 seconds to go, tying the score at 33 entering the fourth quarter.

But unfortunately for the locals, it was one of three different times in the final three quarters that the local girls tied up the game, but could not take the lead.

Earle was the only Cougar girl to score in double figures, notching 11 points. She was helped by Williams and Brianna Thomas, who each scored nine, and Chi Chi Ozuzu with eight points. Shabazz's Aliyyah Handford scored 15 points to go along with eight rebounds and three blocked shots. Simmons scored 13 and Alyesha Lovett added 12 for the Bulldogs.

"We should've won. We didn't so I'm not happy," Wright said. "What we have to do is go back and work on the things we were weak on."

Shabazz, which is now 13-0, likely sealed the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Essex County Tournament next week. Columbia will be hoping for the No. 2 seed, with both of its losses this season, coming against Shabazz.

The Cougars, who fell to 13-2 with the loss, are in action again on Tuesday at home against Mt. St. Dominic at 7 p.m.