Saturday, January 15
Cambridge, Mass.
2:00 PM
Columbia University
at
Harvard
Photo by: Columbia University Athletics/Mike McLaughlin
Columbia Prepares for Two Ivy Games Over MLK Day Weekend
1/14/2022 10:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Watch vs. Harvard (ESPN+)Watch vs. Cornell (ESPN+)International StreamsLive Stats (Harvard)Live Stats (Cornell)Game Notes
Lions visit Harvard Saturday, host Cornell Monday on SNY
NEW YORK – Columbia women's basketball (10-3, 1-0 Ivy) resumes Ivy League play with two games over the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Weekend. The Lions will pay a visit to Cambridge to take on Harvard (7-8, 1-2 Ivy) on Saturday for a 2 p.m. tip at Lavietes Pavilion. The team will then return home to Schiller Court at Levien Gymnasium to host Cornell (6-7, 1-1 Ivy) on Monday, also at 2 p.m. ET.
GAME COVERAGE
Fans can watch both Saturday's game at Harvard and Monday's game against Cornell live on ESPN+. Monday's home game against Cornell will also air live on SportsNet New York (SNY). With a total distribution of nearly 12 million homes, SNY is available to viewers throughout New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Northeastern Pennsylvania for a regional reach of 8.0 million households.
Live stats for Saturday's game will be provided by GoCrimson.com. Live stats for Monday will be available through GoColumbiaLions.com. Live updates will also be posted to the women's basketball team's Twitter page (@CULionsWBB).
TEMPORARY NO-SPECTATOR POLICY
Due to the substantial increase in the number of COVID-19 cases being reported in New York City, New York State, and the Columbia University campus community, Columbia University is implementing a temporary no-spectator attendance policy for its home athletics events through January 18. Attendance to all events shall be limited to participating players, coaches, and officials, as well as athletics administrators and essential personnel required to conduct an NCAA Division I contest.
5 THINGS TO KNOW:
1. THE LATEST
• After defeating LIU on Dec. 13, Columbia went nearly three weeks without a game before it opened Ivy League play on Jan. 2 with a second-half comeback win over Yale, 65-55. The Lions trailed the Bulldogs by as many as 12 early in the second half, but outscored them 43-25 over the final two periods, including 25-14 in the fourth quarter, to win their Ivy League opener for a second year in a row.
• Last weekend's scheduled back-to-back against Princeton and Penn was postponed due to COVID-19 concerns within the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia women's basketball programs. When the Lions return to the court on Saturday, it will be for just their second game in the last 32 days. Saturday will also be Columbia's first road game since a 78-49 victory over Marist back on Dec. 5.
2. A MEMORABLE WEEKEND
• The last time Columbia bussed to Harvard, the Lions made program history with their first season sweep and first back-to-back wins over the Crimson. They did it in dramatic fashion as Hannah Pratt scored a career-high 17 points to help the Lions take the lead for the first time in the third quarter, and Abbey Hsu scored 12 fourth-quarter points to complete the 62-57 victory.
• The next day, Columbia clinched its first Ivy League Tournament berth by defeating Dartmouth, 62-50, in New Hampshire. The weekend sweep gave the Lions a program record six straight Ivy League wins.
3. CLIMBING THE 3-POINT CHARTS
• Abbey Hsu enters Saturday's game with 112 made 3-pointers in her career, which ranks 10th in Columbia women's basketball history. She is currently three behind her head coach, Megan Griffith (2003-07) for ninth and four behind 2021 graduate and former teammate Riley Casey for eighth. The career record is well within the sophomore's grasp and currently belongs to Melissa Shafer, who made 166 from 2008-12.
4. QUICK HITS
• The Lions are 10-0 this season when holding their opponent to fewer than 80 points and 0-3 when they don't.
• Columbia's 10-3 start marks just the second time they have won 10 of their first 13 games since going Div. I.
• Columbia has four of the Ivy League's top 20 in scoring (Hsu, Davis, Henderson, Durr).
• Abbey Hsu leads the Lions at 17.4 ppg, which is No. 2 in the Ivy League and top 75 nationally.
• Hsu is 7th in the Ivy League in shooting percentage (.400) and No. 2 in 3-point percentage (.376).
• Kaitlyn Davis ranks No. 7 in the Ivies in scoring (13.4), No. 3 in field goal percentage (.482), No. 4 in rebounding (8.0) and No. 5 in blocks (1.4).
• Carly Rivera leads the Ivy League in assists per game (6.1) and assists/turnover ratio (1.84). She ranks top 10 nationally assists per game and top 25 in total assists (79).
• Kitty Henderson also ranks top 10 in the Ivy League in assists per game (2.2)
• Columbia has four of the Ivy League's top 20 in steals (Davis, Rivera, Hsu, Patrick).
• Columbia has five of the Ivy League's top 25 in blocks (Davis, Pratt, Hsu, Durr, Comesaña)
• Rivera ranks No. 5 in the Ivies in steals (23) and No. 6 in steals per game (1.9).
• Columbia ranks top 50 nationally in assists per game (16.3), scoring offense (74.3), 3-pointers made (109) and made per game (8.4).
• Columbia is ranked No. 8 ranking in this week's CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll.
5. THE OPPONENTS
• Harvard (7-8, 1-2 Ivy) has played each of its first three Ivy League games on the road, falling to Princeton, 68-50, and Yale, 80-73, while defeating Brown, 89-58. Like Columbia, the Crimson like to get up and down the floor, averaging 70.1 points while also allowing 68.9 points per game. They are a big threat from the outside, leading the Ivy League and ranking top 20 nationally in 3-point makes (137) and attempts (384), while also ranking No. 33 nationally in 3-point percentage (.357). They also take care of the ball well, leading the Ivy League at just 13.3 turnovers per game (No. 32 in the NCAA), while also coming up with 9.8 steals per game (top 75 in the NCAA). Their top two scoring threats are first-year Harmoni Turner (14.9 ppg) and 2020 All-Ivy Honorable Mention Lola Mullaney. Mullaney is second only to Hsu in 3-point makes.
• Cornell (6-7, 1-1 Ivy) started off league play with a gritty 45-36 victory at Dartmouth back on Jan. 2. The Big Red were scheduled to play Princeton and Penn last weekend, but had the game against Penn postponed. They wound up falling on Saturday against Princeton, 65-41. Senior Theresa Grace Mbanefo is the team's leading scorer at 12.3 points per game. Mbanefo sits No. 2 in the Ivies in field goal percentage (.504), good enough for No. 75 nationally, and also tops the Big Red in rebounds (8.2), and blocks (1.92), ranks No. 3 in the league in both categories. Ania McNicholas is a threat to cause turnovers, averaging 2.58 and totaling 31 steals on the season to rank among the league leaders. Cornell prides itself defensively, allowing just 57.5 points per game, second-best in the Ivy League and a top-75 mark nationally.
--
MORNINGSIDE HOOPS
The newly branded Morningside Hoops podcast is back for a fourth season. Formerly known as Inside Columbia Basketball, the podcast features weekly interviews with coaches and members of the men's and women's basketball programs. New episodes are available weekly on SoundCloud, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
To listen to this week's episode, click here.
--
For the latest on the Columbia women's basketball, follow @CULionsWBB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, or on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
GAME COVERAGE
Fans can watch both Saturday's game at Harvard and Monday's game against Cornell live on ESPN+. Monday's home game against Cornell will also air live on SportsNet New York (SNY). With a total distribution of nearly 12 million homes, SNY is available to viewers throughout New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Northeastern Pennsylvania for a regional reach of 8.0 million households.
Live stats for Saturday's game will be provided by GoCrimson.com. Live stats for Monday will be available through GoColumbiaLions.com. Live updates will also be posted to the women's basketball team's Twitter page (@CULionsWBB).
TEMPORARY NO-SPECTATOR POLICY
Due to the substantial increase in the number of COVID-19 cases being reported in New York City, New York State, and the Columbia University campus community, Columbia University is implementing a temporary no-spectator attendance policy for its home athletics events through January 18. Attendance to all events shall be limited to participating players, coaches, and officials, as well as athletics administrators and essential personnel required to conduct an NCAA Division I contest.
5 THINGS TO KNOW:
1. THE LATEST
• After defeating LIU on Dec. 13, Columbia went nearly three weeks without a game before it opened Ivy League play on Jan. 2 with a second-half comeback win over Yale, 65-55. The Lions trailed the Bulldogs by as many as 12 early in the second half, but outscored them 43-25 over the final two periods, including 25-14 in the fourth quarter, to win their Ivy League opener for a second year in a row.
• Last weekend's scheduled back-to-back against Princeton and Penn was postponed due to COVID-19 concerns within the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia women's basketball programs. When the Lions return to the court on Saturday, it will be for just their second game in the last 32 days. Saturday will also be Columbia's first road game since a 78-49 victory over Marist back on Dec. 5.
2. A MEMORABLE WEEKEND
• The last time Columbia bussed to Harvard, the Lions made program history with their first season sweep and first back-to-back wins over the Crimson. They did it in dramatic fashion as Hannah Pratt scored a career-high 17 points to help the Lions take the lead for the first time in the third quarter, and Abbey Hsu scored 12 fourth-quarter points to complete the 62-57 victory.
• The next day, Columbia clinched its first Ivy League Tournament berth by defeating Dartmouth, 62-50, in New Hampshire. The weekend sweep gave the Lions a program record six straight Ivy League wins.
3. CLIMBING THE 3-POINT CHARTS
• Abbey Hsu enters Saturday's game with 112 made 3-pointers in her career, which ranks 10th in Columbia women's basketball history. She is currently three behind her head coach, Megan Griffith (2003-07) for ninth and four behind 2021 graduate and former teammate Riley Casey for eighth. The career record is well within the sophomore's grasp and currently belongs to Melissa Shafer, who made 166 from 2008-12.
4. QUICK HITS
• The Lions are 10-0 this season when holding their opponent to fewer than 80 points and 0-3 when they don't.
• Columbia's 10-3 start marks just the second time they have won 10 of their first 13 games since going Div. I.
• Columbia has four of the Ivy League's top 20 in scoring (Hsu, Davis, Henderson, Durr).
• Abbey Hsu leads the Lions at 17.4 ppg, which is No. 2 in the Ivy League and top 75 nationally.
• Hsu is 7th in the Ivy League in shooting percentage (.400) and No. 2 in 3-point percentage (.376).
• Kaitlyn Davis ranks No. 7 in the Ivies in scoring (13.4), No. 3 in field goal percentage (.482), No. 4 in rebounding (8.0) and No. 5 in blocks (1.4).
• Carly Rivera leads the Ivy League in assists per game (6.1) and assists/turnover ratio (1.84). She ranks top 10 nationally assists per game and top 25 in total assists (79).
• Kitty Henderson also ranks top 10 in the Ivy League in assists per game (2.2)
• Columbia has four of the Ivy League's top 20 in steals (Davis, Rivera, Hsu, Patrick).
• Columbia has five of the Ivy League's top 25 in blocks (Davis, Pratt, Hsu, Durr, Comesaña)
• Rivera ranks No. 5 in the Ivies in steals (23) and No. 6 in steals per game (1.9).
• Columbia ranks top 50 nationally in assists per game (16.3), scoring offense (74.3), 3-pointers made (109) and made per game (8.4).
• Columbia is ranked No. 8 ranking in this week's CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll.
5. THE OPPONENTS
• Harvard (7-8, 1-2 Ivy) has played each of its first three Ivy League games on the road, falling to Princeton, 68-50, and Yale, 80-73, while defeating Brown, 89-58. Like Columbia, the Crimson like to get up and down the floor, averaging 70.1 points while also allowing 68.9 points per game. They are a big threat from the outside, leading the Ivy League and ranking top 20 nationally in 3-point makes (137) and attempts (384), while also ranking No. 33 nationally in 3-point percentage (.357). They also take care of the ball well, leading the Ivy League at just 13.3 turnovers per game (No. 32 in the NCAA), while also coming up with 9.8 steals per game (top 75 in the NCAA). Their top two scoring threats are first-year Harmoni Turner (14.9 ppg) and 2020 All-Ivy Honorable Mention Lola Mullaney. Mullaney is second only to Hsu in 3-point makes.
• Cornell (6-7, 1-1 Ivy) started off league play with a gritty 45-36 victory at Dartmouth back on Jan. 2. The Big Red were scheduled to play Princeton and Penn last weekend, but had the game against Penn postponed. They wound up falling on Saturday against Princeton, 65-41. Senior Theresa Grace Mbanefo is the team's leading scorer at 12.3 points per game. Mbanefo sits No. 2 in the Ivies in field goal percentage (.504), good enough for No. 75 nationally, and also tops the Big Red in rebounds (8.2), and blocks (1.92), ranks No. 3 in the league in both categories. Ania McNicholas is a threat to cause turnovers, averaging 2.58 and totaling 31 steals on the season to rank among the league leaders. Cornell prides itself defensively, allowing just 57.5 points per game, second-best in the Ivy League and a top-75 mark nationally.
--
MORNINGSIDE HOOPS
The newly branded Morningside Hoops podcast is back for a fourth season. Formerly known as Inside Columbia Basketball, the podcast features weekly interviews with coaches and members of the men's and women's basketball programs. New episodes are available weekly on SoundCloud, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
To listen to this week's episode, click here.
--
For the latest on the Columbia women's basketball, follow @CULionsWBB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, or on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
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