NEW YORK - Columbia men's basketball (6-10, 1-0) will look to build off its Ivy League opening win when it welcomes Princeton (10-4, 1-0) on Friday, January 6 and Penn (8-7, 1-0) on Saturday, January 7. Both games are slated for 7 p.m. on ESPN+.
OPENING TIP-OFF
• Columbia embarks the first of two traditional Ivy League back-to-back weekends when it hosts Princeton and Penn at Schiller Court at Levien Gymnasium.
• Columbia knocked off Yale, 62-60, to kick off conference play on New Year's Eve. The Lions led by as many as 16 points, but the Bulldogs rallied to tie the game at 53-53 with 3:30 to go. Avery Brown's 3-pointer just over a minute later put Columbia in front for good as Columbia snapped an eight-game skid to the defending Ivy League champions.
• The Lions have posted three of the last four Ivy League Rookies of the Week with Avery Brown picking up the honor twice (Dec. 12, Jan. 3) and Blair Thompson on Dec. 18.
• Next week, Columbia will head to Harvard on January 14 before hosting Cornell on Martin Luther King Day on January 16.
NEWS/NOTES
PRINCETON'S STATUS
The Tigers held serve at home in their Ivy League opener, topping Harvard, 69-66, on Saturday. Princeton has won 10 of its last 12 overall after starting the year 0-2. The Tigers have been strong on the glass this season, holding a +9.0 rebounding margin. Ryan Langborg and Tosan Evbuomwan are the team's top two scorers, checking in at 12.6 and 12.4 PPG. Evbuomwan also leads Princeton in rebounding (6.3) and assists (4.1).
INSIDE THE SERIES - PRINCETON
Princeton is 159-86 all-time against Columbia and has won six-straight over the past three seasons. The Tigers won both games last year in convincing fashion, earning an 84-69 victory at Jadwin Gym and an 85-63 triumph in New York.
PENN'S STATUS
The Quakers also sit atop the conference standings after opening weekend after claiming a 76-68 win at Brown on Monday. Penn used a 15-6 run to break a 57-57 tie and pick up the road victory. The Quakers have arguably the best 1-2 scoring punch in the Ivy League. Jordan Dingle is the conference's top scorer, checking in at 23.8 points. Clark Slajchert is right behind him, averaging 18.0 points and is shooting 94.3 percent from the foul line.
INSIDE THE SERIES - PENN
Penn holds a 146-93 record in the series with Columbia. The schools split last year's meetings after the Lions took a 73-69 decision at the Palestra and the Quakers took an 81-66 win on the road.
DECEMBER TO REMEMBER
Columbia turned another corner in the final month of 2022. The Lions finished December 4-3, marking the first winning month for the program since January 2017 when they went 5-1. Columbia has already eclipsed its 2021-22 win total (four).
DEFENDING THE PRIDE
Columbia's defense has stepped things up over the past nine games, holding opponents to 63.9 points, 38.7 percent shooting and 28.7 percent shooting from beyond the arc since its game at Providence on Nov. 26. Prior to this stretch, Columbia was allowing 76.4 points and teams were shooting 48.8 percent from the floor.
FREE THROW SHOOTING
Columbia's ability to get to the foul line has been a strength this season. The Lions are leading the Ivy League, averaging 12.7 made free throws per game and are second in the conference in free throw percentage (71.7). Columbia recently went 17-of-17 from the stripe against UMES to bolster that average. Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa ranks second in the conference and 25th nationally in free throw percentage, converting at an 89.6 percent clip.
TICKETS TO UPCOMING HOME GAMES
Tickets for all Columbia home games are on sale now and can be purchased by clicking here or calling 888-LIONS-11.
FIRST RESPONDERS NIGHT
Friday is First Responders Night! All members of the FDNY and NYPD can receive complimentary tickets via the Heroes Program. Contact the ticket office at 888-LIONS-11 to learn how to redeem your tickets.
BOY SCOUT NIGHT
Saturday is Boy Scout Night! All Boy Scouts who pre-register their group receive 1/2 off tickets and can present their troop colors on the court during the National Anthem. Learn more by contacting the ticket office at 888-LIONS-11.
JAG-ONE PHYSICAL THERAPY REAMAO MASSAGE GUN GIVEAWAY
Friday's presenting sponsor Jag-One Physical Therapy will be giving one lucky fan a REMAEO Massage Gun. Stop by the Jag-One Physical Therapy table in the Levien Gymnasium lobby. Winner will be announced in the 2nd half.
THE IVY LEAGUE ON ESPN+
You can get an ESPN+ subscription for $9.99 per month, or save over 15% with an ESPN+ Annual Plan at $99.99 per year. You can also bundle ESPN+ (With Ads) with Disney+ (With Ads) and Hulu (With Ads) for $12.99 per month. Learn more at disneyplus.com/priceinfo. Click here to subscribe to ESPN+ and start your free trial! Click here for frequently asked questions about the Ivy League on ESPN.
JAG-ONE PHYSICAL THERAPY REAMAO MASSAGE GUN GIVEAWAY
Jag-One Physical Therapy will be giving one lucky fan a REMAEO Massage Gun. Stop by the Jag-One Physical Therapy table in the Levien Gymnasium lobby. Winner will be announced in the 2nd half.
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.
