NEW YORK - The Columbia men's basketball team will spend Valentine's Day weekend on the road when it faces Dartmouth on Friday, February 14 and Harvard on Saturday, February 15. Both game times are set for 7 p.m. on ESPN+.
 

OPENING TIP-OFF

• Columbia fell twice at home to Penn and Princeton in a series that was shifted to Saturday and Sunday due to weather issues with the Lions' travel partner Cornell. The Lions have dropped five in a row since winning their Ivy League opener.

• Mike Smith ranks No. 14 in the NCAA, averaging 21.0 points per game, and has led the Lions in scoring in 20 of 22 games this season.

• The Lions will return to Levien Gymnasium next weekend to open a four-game home stand against Brown and Yale on February 21-22.

NEWS/NOTES

DARTMOUTH'S STATUS
The Big Green will look to snap a nine-game slide when Columbia comes to Hanover Friday. Dartmouth was edged by Brown, 67-65, Friday before dropping a 75-57 decision Saturday. Chris Knight is the team's leading scorer at 13.1 points per game. Aaryn Rai is the only other player posting double-figures, checking in at 10.5 points and a team-high 6.4 rebounds per contest.

INSIDE THE SERIES - DARTMOUTH
Columbia is 114-102 against Dartmouth going all the way back to 1905-06. The Lions and Big Green have split the season series' the past three seasons with the home team winning each time. Four of those last six meetings have been decided by four or fewer points.

HARVARD'S STATUS
The Crimson are back at home, where they are 6-0 on the year, after five-straight on the road. Harvard split last weekend's matchups at Yale and Brown, slipping past the Bulldogs, 78-77, before a 72-71 defeat against the Bears. Noah Kirkwood and Chris Lewis are posting 11.9 and 11.5 points per game, respectively. Lewis also hauls in 6.3 boards, which is tops on the squad.

INSIDE THE SERIES - HARVARD
The Lions are 98-84 against the Crimson all-time. Last season, the schools combined to play four overtimes in two games with Harvard taking a 98-96 triple-overtime contest in Cambridge and edged out Columbia 83-81 in a single extra session in Levien Gym.

CH-CH-CHANGES...
Beginning in 2021, the Ivy League men's and women's basketball conference slate will take on a new form. Conference season will move from an eight-week to 10-week schedule. Next season, league play begins for all 16 teams on Jan. 2, 2021. The league's signature back-to-back weekends will be featured three times. The new format prioritizes and balance student-athlete time demands.

NEW COURT, WHO DIS?
Columbia announced that center court in Levien Gym will be dedicated in honor of Jonathan D. Schiller  '69CC '73LAW at halftime of the Lions' game against Yale on Saturday, Feb. 22. Schiller was a three-year letter winner and member of the 1967-68 Ivy League men's basketball championship team. He went on to co-found Boies Schiller Flexner LLP and oversees the firm's pro-bono program. He was appointed co-chair of the University Trustees in 2014 and served as sole chair from 2015-18. In 2017, Schiller was named an inaugural Legend of Ivy League Basketball for achievements and contributions to the Ivy League.

INSIDE COLUMBIA BASKETBALL PODCAST
Columbia hosts a weekly podcast featuring the men's and women's basketball programs. New episodes are available weekly on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher and SoundCloud. Search and subscribe for "Columbia Athletics."

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.

FOLLOW COLUMBIA ON SOCIAL MEDIA
For the latest on the Columbia men's basketball, follow @CULionsMBB on Twitter and Instagram, and the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.