NEW YORK - The Columbia men's basketball team is back in action Sunday, December 30, when they take on Northwestern for a 5 p.m. (EST) contest.
OPENING TIP-OFF
• Columbia will play its second straight games against Big Ten opponent, after being edged at Rutgers, 68-65, in overtime on Dec. 22.
• The Lions led by as many as 15 points in the first half, but the Scarlet Knights came up with big second-chance points and got to the foul line to earn a comeback win.
• Columbia ranks in the top-25 nationally in two team statistical categories. The Lions are dishing out 18.2 assists and are knocking down 10.1 3-point field goals per game, which rank No. 14 and 21, respectively. Columbia also checks in at No. 33 in assist/turnover ratio (1.4).
NEWS/NOTES
NORTHWESTERN'S STATUS
The Wildcats are coming off a 76-69 overtime defeat to Oklahoma on Dec. 21. Vic Law leads Northwestern, averaging 18.8 points on 40.0 percent shooting from beyond the arc to go with 6.6 rebounds per game. Dererk Pardon is grabbing a team-high 8.7 rebounds and is shooting 63.4 percent from the field en route to 14.0 points per contest.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Columbia is 1-2 all-time against Northwestern. The teams last met on November 20, 2015 with the Wildcats claiming an 83-80 overtime win. Columbia led by as many as 12, but did not record a field goal over the final moments of regulation or overtime as Northwestern rallied for the win.
COLUMBIA VS. THE BIG 10
The Lions are 30-36 all-time against teams currently in the Big 10. Columbia's most common opponent is Rutgers and its last win against a Big Ten foe was an 85-75 win at the RAC on Dec. 2, 1976. The Lions' last victory over a traditional Big 10 foe came on Dec. 3, 1969 against Northwestern, 83-68.
SHARING IS CARING
Columbia has averaged 19.6 assists per game over its last seven contests and rank second in the Ivy League, averaging 18.2 per contest for the year, which also puts them 14th in the NCAA.
FROM DOWNTOWN
The Lions knocked down a team record 17 3-pointers in its win over St. Joseph's (Brooklyn) on Nov. 25. Columbia is took advantage of the friendly confines of Levien Gym during its four-game home stand, knocking down 53-of-124 (42.8 percent) from beyond the arc and is knocking down 10.1 treys per game (21st in the NCAA) after leading the conference in 2017-18 with an average of 10.0 per contest last season.
KLEPTOMANIACS
Defensively, the Lions have had active hands and lead the Ivy League averaging 8.2 steals per contest and in the top-50 nationally.
THE IVY LEAGUE ON ESPN+
All home Columbia games and most Ivy League road contests will air on ESPN+ as part of The Ivy League's new partnership with ESPN. ESPN+ is a new, subscription-based service that offers monthly ($4.99) and yearly ($49.99) plans. Click here to subscribe to ESPN+ and start your free trial! Click here for frequently asked questions about the Ivy League on ESPN.
IVY MADNESS
The third annual Ivy League Basketball Tournaments will be held on the campus of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut on March 16-17. Tickets will be available to select groups beginning Tuesday, December 11 at 10 a.m. Full information is available at IvyMadness.com.
