STONY BROOK, N.Y. — All five starters scored in double figures and the Columbia women's basketball team used a balanced effort to put away Stony Brook, 84-68, Wednesday night at Island Federal Arena.
Columbia (8-2) was led by Jaida Patrick and Kaitlyn Davis, who combined for 40 points in the winning effort. Patrick scored 13 in the first quarter alone on her way to a team-high 21. Davis gave the Lions the boost they needed in the second half and finished with 19 points, nine boards and three steals. The duo combined to go 17-of-30 (.567) from the floor.
Leading by eight at the half, Columbia came out of the locker rooms with the first eight points to open up a 57-41 cushion. Patrick, Davis, Kitty Henderson and Abbey Hsu combined for two points apiece over that stretch.
Stony Brook (4-5) answered with 13 of the next 17 to pull back within seven, 61-54, but that was as close as it got. The lead was back in double figures by the start of the fourth and a late 10-2 run sealed Columbia's fifth straight win.
"I was really proud of how we started the second half … The first half was kind of like a track meet," Columbia head coach Megan Griffith '07CC said. "We have five players averaging double figures … and they trust each other. We share the ball really well and that's something that we take a lot of pride in. It can be anybody's night."
Columbia's starting five, which all came into the night averaging double figures, were rounded out by 13 from Abbey Hsu and 10 apiece from Kitty Henderson and Hannah Pratt. Henderson had a game-high six of Columbia's 18 assists. Hsu and Pratt each had six boards.
Gigi Gonzalez scored a game-high 28 points (11-19 FG) for the Seawolves. Sherese Pittman was 10-for-10 at the foul line and ended the night with 16.
The Lions had revenge on their minds after Stony Brook defeated them last season at Levien Gym. Both teams came out hitting shots but it was Columbia that went on a 15-2 first-quarter run to create the first bit of separation. Patrick was the catalyst, hitting five field goals in the first seven minutes to score 13 of the Lions' first 21 points. Stony Brook answered with the next eight to pull with five by the end of a period.
An 11-1 second-quarter run quickly put Columbia back in front by double figures. The Lions maintained about a 10-point lead most of the night and were always in control, but Stony Brook stayed within striking distance. A 3:09 scoring drought helped the Seawolves get it back to 49-41 at the half.
The seasoned and experienced Lions proved too much over the final 20 minutes. Kaitlyn Davis and the Lions used their athleticism and size advantage to end the game at plus-15 in rebounds. They had 18 on the offensive end en route to a 23-7 advantage in second-chance opportunities.
The Lions will look for more revenge from last season on Saturday when they travel to Amherst for a rematch with reigning Atlantic 10 champion Massachusetts (8-2). Tip-off from the Mullins Center is scheduled for 12 noon Eastern. The game will be televised regionally on NESN and also be available online on ESPN+.
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