NEW YORK - The Columbia men's basketball team will remain home for the first weekend of Ivy League back-to-backs. Princeton comes to town on Friday, February 2 for a 7 p.m. contest and defending Ancient Eight Champs Penn follow on Saturday for an 8 p.m. tip-off. Both games will be shown live on ESPN+. Friday's contest against the Tigers can be seen on SNY (Feb. 2 - 5 p.m.) and NBC Sports Philadelphia (Feb 2. - 1 p.m.) on tape delay.

OPENING TIP-OFF

• Columbia kicks off the first weekend of Ivy League back-to-backs with Princeton and Penn this weekend.

• The Lions held off Cornell, 73-70, last Saturday to earn their first Ivy League win of the year. 

• Gabe Stefanini was named Ivy League Player of the Week after posting 24 points, a career-high eight rebounds and five assists in the win.

• Columbia ranks No. 8 in the NCAA, dishing out 18.1 assists per game. They also lead the Ivy League in assist/turnover ratio (1.4) and Gabe Stefanini is second in the conference with 4.1 APG individually.

• Next up, the Lions will hit the road to take on Havard (Feb. 8) and Dartmouth (Feb. 9).

 

NEWS/NOTES

PRINCETON'S STATUS
The Tigers have won five-straight and wrapped up non-conference play with a victory over Wesley on Jan. 27. Princeton sits atop the Ivy League table after sweeping Penn to kick off conference play. Princeton's leading scorer, Devin Cannady, is leading the team with averages of 19.5 points and 6.2 rebounds. However, Cannady was suspended for the Tigers' last game. Myles Stephens is posting 13.6 points and 6.0 boards, while Richmond Aririguzoh nets 11.0 points and 5.3 reb ounds per contest.

INSIDE THE PRINCETON SERIES
The Lions are 85-153 all-time against the Tigers. Columbia snapped a eight-game skid in the series with an 85-60 win in Levien Gymnasium last February. It was the largest margin of victory for Columbia since a 26-point win in 1948 - before the Ivy League was formally created.

PENN'S STATUS
The Quakers clinched a Big 5 title with a 78-70 win at Saint Joseph's last Saturday, but will look for their first Ivy win at Cornell Friday. AJ Brodeur paces Penn, averaging 15.3 points and 8.0 rebounds. First-years Michael Wang and Bryce Washington have also provided a lift, registering 10.0 and 9.2 PPG, respectively. The Quakers are also keeping teams off the 3-point line, holding opponents to 29.6 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

INSIDE THE PENN SERIES
The Quakers swept the Lions for the first time since 2012 last season and hold a 91-142 edge in the all-time series.

COACHES VS. CANCER 3-POINT CHALLENGE
Columbia is participating in the 3-Point Challenge for the third consecutive year. With this initiative by the American Cancer Society and the NABC, fans can pledge a dollar amount for every 3-pointer Columbia makes during the month of February or make a one-time donation. All funds will benefit the American Cancer Society. To donate to Columbia's page, click here.

INSIDE COLUMBIA BASKETBALL PODCAST
Columbia Athletics debuted a brand new podcast featuring the men's and women's basketball programs. New episodes are available weekly on iTunes and SoundCloud.

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.