Women's Basketball Hosts UMass Lowell for Education Day
12/1/2016 3:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
ILDN // Facebook Live // 
ILDN // Talent: Jay Alter
Twitter
NEW YORK – The Columbia women's basketball team (4-2) hosts UMass Lowell (0-7) for its ninth annual Education Day Friday morning. The game will tip at 11 a.m. in Levien Gymnasium.
EDUCATION DAY
• Columbia has partnered with the New York City Department of Education for the ninth consecutive year to invite more than 2,500 elementary school students representing 15 New York City institutions to Columbia. Student-athletes from Columbia's athletics department will give campus tours prior to Friday morning's tip. The Lions will also recognize one teacher from each represented institution during a halftime ceremony.
"I'm thrilled that Columbia University's Athletics Department continues to partner with the NYC Department of Education to sponsor Education Day at Columbia,” said Paul Forbes, Director, Expanded Success Initiative. “We know that creating a college-going culture cannot start in high school. This opportunity allows teachers, principals, guidance counselors and assistant principals to bring their elementary school young people to one of the elite universities in the country. For so many, this is the first time that they have stepped foot on a college campus and it gives them a profound sense that they can one day attend such a school. I look forward to this ongoing collaboration and partnership.”
GAMEDAY MEDIA
• Friday morning's game will air on the Ivy League Digital Network and will be simulcast on Facebook Live. Fans can access the Facebook Live stream by visiting the Columbia Athletics Facebook page. An audio broadcast will only be available on the ILDN. Live stats will be provided by GoColumbiaLions.com.
FACEBOOK LIVE WEEK
• Columbia is participating in the Ivy League sponsored Facebook Live Week. Friday morning's Education Day game against UMass Lowell will be broadcast on Facebook Live through Columbia's Facebook page. Facebook Live Week is an Ivy League partnership with Facebook, which will showcase 15 Ivy League Digital Network (ILDN) broadcasts via Facebook Live from Nov. 22-Dec. 3. Powered by the Ivy League Digital Network, Facebook Live Week will feature simulcasts of 15 sporting events on Facebook Live and ILDN. Ivy League broadcasts will highlight action in four sports—men's and women's basketball, men's and women's ice hockey—tapping into the 1.79 billion active monthly users on the world's largest social media network. Each institution of the Ancient Eight will produce at least one Facebook Live simulcast.
NEWS/NOTES
OPENING TIPS
• Sophomore Josie Little is coming off a career performance on Wednesday, collecting a career-high 19 rebounds to lead Columbia in a 65-53 victory at Loyola Maryalnd. Little tied her career-high in the first half with 14 boards and added five in the fourth quarter.
• Junior Camille Zimmerman ranks atop the Ivy League in scoring (19.2), offensive rebounding (5.0) and minutes (37.7). Zimmerman is also second in rebounding (10.8), fourth in assists (3.0) and fourth in blocked shots (1.5).
• Senior Tori Oliver became the sixth Lion in program history to record both 1,000 career points and 500 career rebounds in Wednesday's 65-53 win at Loyola Maryland. Oliver enters Friday's game with 1,143 career points and 502 career rebounds, earning her 500th rebound on Wednesday. Oliver is also one of 12 Lions to ever reach 500 rebounds.
• Columbia is attempting to start 5-2 for the second consecutive season. The last time the Lions won at least five of their first seven games in back-to-back seasons was 1985-86 and 1986-87, going 6-1 both years.
• The Lions are 4-0 when attempting more free throws and 0-2 when their opponent gets to the stripe more.
• The America East has dealt the Lions their only two losses of the season, falling to UMBC and Stony Brook.
THE SERIES
• Columbia and UMass Lowell are meeting for the third consecutive season since their first ever series matchup in 2014. The sides split the first two contests with each team winning on the road. Columbia took last year's game, 67-57.
POSTGAME NOTES FROM LOYOLA (Nov. 30)
• Josie Little recorded a career-high 19 rebounds. It marked the most by a Lion since Camille Zimmerman set her career-high with the same amount last season against Loyola Maryland.
• Tori Oliver became the sixth Lion in program history with 1,000 career points and 500 career rebounds, joining Ula Lysniak (1983-87), Kathy Gilbert (1987-91), Shawnee Pickney (1997-01), Ellen Bossert (1984-86) and Lauren Dwyer (2007-11).
• Paulina Koerner hit career-highs in 3-pointers made (3), 3-pointers attempted (6), rebounds (6) and minutes (40).
• Janiya Clemmons scored a career-high eight points, She scored four in the season opener against UMBC.
• Columbia outrebounded Loyola Maryland by 22, its largest rebound margin since outrebounding Central Penn by 32 last January 3.
• Columbia's 4-2 start marks the first time the Lions have won four of their first six games in back-to-back seasons since 1988-89 and 1989-90. Last season, the Lions started 5-1.
• Columbia took a 3-1 lead in the all-time series against Loyola Maryland. It marked the first time either team won on the road.
SCOUTING UMASS LOWELL
• The River Hawks are still in search of their first victory, starting the season 0-7 with losses to Towson, then-No. 6 Maryland, Fairfield, Longwood, Indiana, Boston U and Rhode Island. They last played on Tuesday at home and suffered their slimmest margin of defeat, 64-57, to Rhode Island.
• UMass Lowell ranks last in the America East in scoring offense (51.1), scoring defense (76.6) and scoring margin (-25.4). The River Hawks also rank at the bottom of the conference in free throw percentage (.617), field goal percentage defense (.447), steals (5.3), turnover margin (-16.43) and assist/turnover ratio (0.4). Some of the reason for that stems from the team's 100-44 loss to then-No. 6 Maryland. The River Hawks also suffered a 34-point loss at Indiana. Kayla Gibbs leads the team in scoring at 10.1 per game, and shares the team-lead in rebounding (5.9) with Katherine Smith.
• Head coach Jenerrie Harris is in her third season with UMass Lowell and holds a record of 18-46 (.281). Harris went 14-15 with a 7-9 mark in America East play her first season. Last year, the River Hawks managed four wins. Harris is a 2004 graduate of Kentucky, becoming the first walk-on during head coach Bernadette Mattox's era to earn a scholarship and start.
COLUMBIA BASKETBALL PODCAST
• The Columbia University Sports Management program is producing a series of podcasts involving the Columbia men's and women's basketball programs this season. The podcasts are part of the program's podcast series, The CUSP Show. The first four episodes are already available and can be downloaded for free in the App Store. Fans can access the podcasts in a variety of other ways as well, which includes going to BlogTalkRadio.com/TheCUSPshow. The podcasts will also be posted as they become available to GoColumbiaLions.com.
UP NEXT…
• After playing three games in a span of six days, Columbia has off until next Wednesday, when the Lions welcome Providence (6-0). Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. from Levien Gymnasium.
