Cornell
69
55
Columbia
| Score by Quarter |
| Team |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Final |
| Cornell |
12 |
18 |
19 |
20 |
69 |
Columbia
|
14 |
10 |
18 |
13 |
55 |
| Stat Comparison |
| Category |
Columbia |
Cornell
|
| FGM-A |
22-48 |
26-54 |
| FG% |
45.8% |
48.1% |
| 3FGM-A |
3-10 |
3-6 |
| 3FG% |
30.0% |
50.0% |
| FTM-A |
8-12 |
14-19 |
| FT% |
66.7% |
73.7% |
| Rebounds |
32 |
25 |
| Assists |
8 |
13 |
| Turnovers |
19 |
11 |
| Blocks |
1 |
4 |
| Steals |
3 |
9 |
NEW YORK — A 13-2 fourth-quarter run helped Cornell pull away from the Columbia women's basketball team, 69-55, Saturday afternoon in what was the Lions' first home game of the Ivy League season.
Columbia (10-5, 0-2 Ivy) fought back from 10 down to make it a two-possession game with just over six minutes remaining. Christine Ehland responded for Cornell (11-4, 2-0 Ivy), scoring the first of five straight Big Red points to bring the margin back to double figures. The Lions made one last effort to get back in it, but the senior-laden Big Red put the game away with eight consecutive points to go on top by as many as 17 in the final seconds.
The loss comes one week after the Lions opened the Ivy League season at Cornell, also falling in that contest, 77-70.
“I thought we were too passive and when you're passive, you're going to make more mistakes,” said head coach Megan Griffith '07CC. “We made one mistake and let that become five.”
The Lions ended the game with 19 turnovers after committing just seven a week ago in Ithaca. Cornell came away with nine steals to contribute to Columbia's turnover trouble, making it hard for the Lions to mount a comeback.
“I never talk about winning or losing, because it's just not something that is important to me right now,” Griffith added. “What's important is we do the right things to build a program with standards and values. The first thing I'm going to do at our next practice is revisit our values. When everybody buys in and our standards and values are what they should be, we'll get the results we want at the end of these games.”
Junior Camille Zimmerman was honored before the start of the game for becoming the 11th Lion in program history to reach 1,000 points. It happened the last time the Lions took the floor at Levien Gymnasium, which was more than a month ago (Dec. 12) in a victory over LIU Brooklyn. She ended Saturday afternoon's contest with a team-highs of 18 points, nine rebounds and three assists.
Senior Tori Oliver was also honored alongside Zimmerman before the start of the game. The duo became Columbia's first pair of active teammates with 1,000 points and 500 rebounds after Zimmerman picked up her 500th board on January 4 at NJIT. Oliver ended Saturday's game with 12 points, five rebounds, two assists and a block.
Sophomore Paulina Koerner was the catalyst for the Lions in the first quarter, netting six points and dishing out an assist to help Columbia take a 14-12 advantage after the opening frame. Koerner went on to finish with 10 points, completing a trio of Lions in double figures.
Cornell converted on 8-of-13 attempts from the floor in the second quarter to take the lead. An 8-2 run led to a four-point lead with 6:03 left before halftime.
Zimmerman caught fire for the Lions, scoring the next six points to put the home side back up, 24-22 at the 2:59 marker. However, that would be the last bucket for Columbia in the period. The Big Red's Kerri Moran drilled a pair of treys, including one that dropped just before the buzzer to give Cornell a 30-24 advantage heading into the locker room.
Sophomore Emily Surloff hit a triple from the corner to start the second half. The Lions kept battling to cut Cornell's lead all the way down to two points, the final occasion coming at 42-40 when junior Alexa Giuliano scored inside.
Cornell answered with the next seven points to take control before the fourth quarter. Seniors Nia Marshall, Megan LeDuc and Kerri Moran all scored on the run, ending the game with 54 of the team's 69 points. Marshall led all scorers with 21.
The Lions hit the road for their next four Ivy League contests, beginning with a trip next Friday and Saturday to Dartmouth and Harvard. The Big Green are up first with tip is set for Friday at 7 p.m. from Leede Arena.
Postgame Notes:
- Camille Zimmerman extended her double-figure scoring streak to 15 games.
- Cornell earned the season sweep over Columbia and has now won seven straight in the series
- Attendance was 875 at Levien Gymnasium.
- The Lions fell to 24-39 all-time vs. Cornell.
