Photo by: Columbia University Athletics/Mike McLaughlin
Kaitlyn Davis Making an Impact on Columbia's Early Success
12/13/2019 10:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
First-year showcasing elite playmaking ability with Lions on a winning streak
By Arden Franklin (@ArdenSportsTalk)
NEW YORK – Regardless of the level you're at, it's never easy to make an immediate impact, especially as a first-year player. So much goes into getting the opportunity to contribute that when it's time to step up, many people fail to do so. But as we're a few weeks into this new season, the 6-3 Columbia women's basketball team has received its share of contributions, especially from rookie Kaitlyn Davis.
The versatile Davis, a five-year standout at Greenwich Academy, has done about everything to help the Lions have their best start in recent memory. Whether it's scoring double-digit points against the likes of Albany and defending NEC champion Robert Morris, or grabbing 15 rebounds versus Georgetown, the 6-foot combo guard/forward leaves nothing to be desired while on the floor.
"It really helped that this team meshed well prior to the start of this season because it's showing on the court," Davis said. "We've been working on impacting the game early and improving from there."
For a team filled with capable scorers and play-makers, the Connecticut native has stood out in a positive and unique way. Since her breakout debut in which she went for 23 points and 13 rebounds in the season opener at Albany – the first Lion in program history to go for 20 and 10 in a debut – Davis has become a major force for a young Columbia team. She is averaging 9.3 points, is top 10 in the Ivy League in rebounds (6.6) and blocks (1.1) and is shooting over 47 percent from the field.
And in just her ninth collegiate game, the Norwalk, Connecticut native had quite possibly her biggest moment yet. Leading Davidson by three with less than 20 seconds to play, Davis showed her hustle and athleticism by closing out and blocking a potential game-tying 3-pointer. The block all but sealed the victory and opened some eyes on social media.
Davis' presence has also helped Columbia significantly improve in rebounding and shot blocking as a team. Though nine games, the Lions rank 34th nationally in rebounds per game, 46th in total rebounds and among the NCAA's top 75 in blocked shots (4.2/game). Compare that with this point last year, where the team was 201st in rebounds and 337th in blocks.
Over her last three games, Davis has produced 22 rebounds and six blocks, helping the Lions increase their winning streak to five games, their longest in three years. They have a chance to make it six in a row after a two-week break for finals, returning to action on Saturday, December 21 against NJIT.
For the latest on the Columbia women's basketball program, follow @CULionsWBB on Twitter and Instagram, on Facebook at Facebook.com/ColumbiaWBB, on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
The Columbia athletics communications office contributed to this article.
NEW YORK – Regardless of the level you're at, it's never easy to make an immediate impact, especially as a first-year player. So much goes into getting the opportunity to contribute that when it's time to step up, many people fail to do so. But as we're a few weeks into this new season, the 6-3 Columbia women's basketball team has received its share of contributions, especially from rookie Kaitlyn Davis.
The versatile Davis, a five-year standout at Greenwich Academy, has done about everything to help the Lions have their best start in recent memory. Whether it's scoring double-digit points against the likes of Albany and defending NEC champion Robert Morris, or grabbing 15 rebounds versus Georgetown, the 6-foot combo guard/forward leaves nothing to be desired while on the floor.
"It really helped that this team meshed well prior to the start of this season because it's showing on the court," Davis said. "We've been working on impacting the game early and improving from there."
𝘽𝙄𝙂. 𝙏𝙄𝙈𝙀. 𝙋𝙇𝘼𝙔.
— Columbia Women's Basketball (@CULionsWBB) November 6, 2019
KD steals it and scores to put us down 1
Columbia 71, Albany 72
17 seconds left
🖥 ESPN+
👀 https://t.co/HlryzUP0Zy#RoarLionRoar pic.twitter.com/c9LxF5D0rn
For a team filled with capable scorers and play-makers, the Connecticut native has stood out in a positive and unique way. Since her breakout debut in which she went for 23 points and 13 rebounds in the season opener at Albany – the first Lion in program history to go for 20 and 10 in a debut – Davis has become a major force for a young Columbia team. She is averaging 9.3 points, is top 10 in the Ivy League in rebounds (6.6) and blocks (1.1) and is shooting over 47 percent from the field.
And in just her ninth collegiate game, the Norwalk, Connecticut native had quite possibly her biggest moment yet. Leading Davidson by three with less than 20 seconds to play, Davis showed her hustle and athleticism by closing out and blocking a potential game-tying 3-pointer. The block all but sealed the victory and opened some eyes on social media.
Kaitlyn Davis said NOPE 🚫😳#ncaaW | @CULionsWBBpic.twitter.com/2Ytx7ltJr7
— NCAA Women's Basketball (@ncaawbb) December 10, 2019
Davis' presence has also helped Columbia significantly improve in rebounding and shot blocking as a team. Though nine games, the Lions rank 34th nationally in rebounds per game, 46th in total rebounds and among the NCAA's top 75 in blocked shots (4.2/game). Compare that with this point last year, where the team was 201st in rebounds and 337th in blocks.
Over her last three games, Davis has produced 22 rebounds and six blocks, helping the Lions increase their winning streak to five games, their longest in three years. They have a chance to make it six in a row after a two-week break for finals, returning to action on Saturday, December 21 against NJIT.
For the latest on the Columbia women's basketball program, follow @CULionsWBB on Twitter and Instagram, on Facebook at Facebook.com/ColumbiaWBB, on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
The Columbia athletics communications office contributed to this article.
Players Mentioned
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