NEW YORK —The Columbia women's basketball team was defeated by Yale, 73-50, Friday night in Ivy League action at Levien Gymnasium.

Yale (11-9, 4-3 Ivy) used a 13-0 run in the first half before an 11-0 run in the second half put the game out of reach. Senior Jen Berkowitz scored a game-high 21 points for the Bulldogs, hitting 10 of her 16 field goals and grabbing five rebounds. Sophomore Roxy Barahman put up 15 and senior Tamara Simpson scored 10. All three entered the game averaging double figures on the season.

"Anything can happen in this league … there has to be a lesson learned," head coach Megan Griffith stated in her postgame interview. "Our players have to show up every day, so that when game time happens you're ready. Right now I don't think we show up every day, and that's a problem.

"We have to have a short memory and turn around and play well tomorrow, but it has to come from the players. They have to be the ones setting goals for themselves."

Sophomore Janiya Clemmons led Columbia (7-15, 1-6 Ivy) with 14 points and six rebounds on 6-of-11 shooting. She reached double figures for the fourth time on the year and came up one point shy of her career-high. First-year Riley Casey and senior Camille Zimmerman scored 10 points apiece, while first-year Madison Pack hit a career-high three 3-pointers for nine points. Zimmerman added 12 boards for her Ivy League-leading 11th double-double.

Columbia shot just 31 percent (19-61) from the floor and 21 percent (4-19) from 3-point range. Yale's defense blocked a Columbia opponent-high nine shots, while the offense clicked to a 54.5-percent second half. Yale also forced 15 Columbia turnovers and finished the evening with a 13-2 advantage in points off those opportunities. 

"In an ideal basketball game, you run the floor on every possession and play both sides," Griffith went on to say. "If the ball doesn't go your way, you lock down on defense. I just don't think we did any of those things tonight. It shows me more of what we need to be better at."

Columbia led 14-12 after an exciting first quarter that saw five lead changes. Clemmons had six points in the opening 10 minutes on 3-of-5 shooting and the Lions outrebounded Yale 12-11. The Bulldogs went on to finish the game with a 44-36 advantage on the glass.

Yale took control of the game with a 13-0 second quarter run as it built a 33-26 halftime lead. Mary Ann Santucci hit two 3-pointers and Ellen Andrews added another to spark Yale's rally. Columbia was held scoreless for four minutes before a Zimmerman jumper ended the drought.

Yale put together an 11-0 run midway through the third quarter that resulted in a 21-point lead. After sophomore Maya Sampleton hit a 3-pointer for the Lions, Barahman converted a 3-point play, Andrews drained a 3-pointer and the Bulldogs hit five free throws to take a 54-33 lead with 2:26 left in the third quarter.

Columbia put together a run to whittle the margin to 13 with over seven minutes remaining, but Yale locked down scored 10 of the next 12 points to rebuild a 20-plus-point advantage.

Alumnae Weekend continues Saturday when the Lions host Brown. Tip from Levien Gymnasium is set for 5 p.m.

POST-GAME NOTES

- Janiya Clemmons led Columbia in scoring for the first time this season.

- Camille Zimmerman climbed to eighth on the Ivy League's career scoring list with 1,852 points. She passed Jayne Daigle (Dartmouth, 1982-86), who scored 1,846.

- Zimmerman's double-double was her 11th of the season and 33rd of her career.

- Friday marked the first of a four-game homestand.