Columbia University
Memphis
Lions Ride Winning Streak into Wednesday Night Clash with Memphis
12/5/2023 6:33:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Memphis visits Levien Gymnasium for the first time
NEW YORK – The Columbia women's basketball team (5-4) looks to stay perfect on its five-game homestand when it hosts Memphis (3-5) on Wednesday. Opening tip from Schiller Court at Levien Gymnasium is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
TICKETS
• Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets ahead of time by visiting GoColumbiaLions.com/Tickets. Fans can also purchase tickets on-site at the ticket window, located at the main entrance on the southeast corner of 120th and Broadway.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS DAY
• Celebrate International Students Day with the Columbia Lions on Wednesday night. The women's basketball program is teaming up with the Columbia International Students & Scholars Office to encourage all students to come out to the game. This is the second year in a row Columbia women's basketball is holding this event.
GAME COVERAGE
• Fans unable to attend Wednesday's game can tune in live on ESPN+. Lance Medow and Doug Feinberg will have the call. Live stats are available courtesy of GoColumbiaLions.com. Lions fans can also follow the team on social media (@CULionsWBB) for live updates.
WHAT TO KNOW:
LAST TIME OUT
• Abbey Hsu converted a game-winning three-point play with 8.7 seconds left and denied Villanova's Lucy Olsen a shot at the buzzer, as the Lions defeated Villanova, 77-75, Sunday afternoon in the first matchup between the two sides in nearly two decades.
• The Lions found themselves trailing by two points with 13.0 seconds remaining. Hsu converted the and-1 from a perfectly executed play out of a timeout, receiving a beautifully anticipated back-door pass from Cecelia Collins, driving down the lane for the bucket and getting fouled in the process. Her free throw put the Lions on top, 76-75. Kitty Henderson blocked Villanova's next attempt and came away with the rebound. She hit 1-of-2 at the line before Hsu's game-ending defensive play.
• The victory improved the Lions to 3-0 this season against the Big East Conference, taking down Seton Hall (Nov. 10), Providence (Nov. 29) and Villanova (Dec. 3) all at Levien Gymnasium. Dating back to the beginning of the Megan Griffith head coaching era, Columbia is 8-1 in its last nine games against Big East opponents.
IVY AWARDS SWEEP🎥 Postgame with @abigailvhsu & @CUCoachG moments after the final buzzer
— Columbia Women's Basketball (@CULionsWBB) December 3, 2023
🎤 @LanceMedow#RoarLionRoar // #EDGE // #OnlyHere 🦁🏀🗽 pic.twitter.com/yXSqfYswaO
• Abbey Hsu and Riley Weiss were named Ivy League Player and Rookie of the Week, respectively, on Monday. Hsu averaged 20.5 points and 7.0 rebounds while Weiss averaged 13.0 points in the two wins and shot 66.7 percent (8-12) from 3-point range. Weiss scored 17 points against Villanova, going 5-of-7 from deep. Hsu was subsequently named Met Basketball Player of the Week for the third time in her career on Tuesday.
NON-CONFERENCE STRENGTHBust out the brooms! 🧹
— Columbia Women's Basketball (@CULionsWBB) December 4, 2023
- Abbey Hsu 👉 @IvyLeague Player of the Week
- Riley Weiss 👉 @IvyLeague Rookie of the Week
What a duo! 🤩
📰 https://t.co/lL6i4Wi268#RoarLionRoar // #EDGE // #OnlyHere 🦁🏀🗽 pic.twitter.com/8GGI2cPoZh
• In terms of opponents' wins and losses, Columbia currently boasts one of the toughest strengths of schedule in the country. Entering Tuesday, the nine opponents Columbia has played so far this season are a combined 41-18 (.711), which ranks as the 30th-toughest schedule in the NCAA. Among Ivy League teams, only Princeton holds a tougher strength of schedule, ranking 17th in the country (40-15, .727).
BETTER THAN THE BIG EAST
• Columbia went a perfect 3-0 against Big East opponents this season, defeating Seton Hall, 72-61, Providence, 77-52, and Villanova, 77-75, all at Levien Gymnasium.
• Dating back to the start of the Megan Griffith coaching era (2016-pres.), the Lions are a combined 8-1 against Big East opponents. They picked up their first Big East win in program history at Levien Gymnasium against Providence on Dec. 7, 2016, besting the Friars, 64-66 in overtime.
• As a conference, the Ivy League is a combined 6-1 against Big East opponents this season with Columbia (3-0), Princeton (1-0) and Brown (2-0) undefeated. The lone loss was by Penn, falling at No. 23 Marquette, 87-52, on December 3. Penn will face Villanova on Tuesday, Dec. 5.
NOTES ON NET RANKINGSLIONS WIN! 🦁🏀
— Columbia Women's Basketball (@CULionsWBB) December 3, 2023
➡️ Columbia 3️⃣, @BIGEAST 0️⃣
🤷♀️
Final presented by @jag_pt_ #RoarLionRoar // #EDGE // #OnlyHere 🗽 pic.twitter.com/8HBtLArDdF
• Columbia is No. 62 in the NET rankings (Dec. 4) and is one of three Ivy League teams in the Top 75.
• Columbia ended the 2022-23 season No. 47 in the NET, its highest ranking final ranking in program history.
• Columbia's peak in the NET last year was 23rd, which came on Wednesday, Dec. 14.
• The NET, which stands for the NCAA Evaluation Tool, replaced the RPI after the 2017-18 season and it is used as the primary sorting tool for selection and seeding for the NCAA tournament.
ZIMMERMAN WINS GOLD WITH USA BASKETBALL
• Camille Zimmerman '18CC won a gold medal as part of USA Basketball's 2023 3x3 Women's AmeriCup team. The Red, White & Blue defeated Brazil, 21-20, on a buzzer-beater by Dearica Hamby.
• The 2023 FIBA 3x3 Women's AmeriCup was held Dec. 1-3 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
• Team USA's roster included three WNBA players: Dearica Hamby (Los Angeles Sparks), Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana Fever), Katie Lou Samuelson (Los Angeles Sparks).
• This was Zimmerman's second year in a row making the USA Basketball 3x3 AmeriCup roster.
• The 2018 graduate has also represented the USA Women on the 2022 and 2023 FIBA 3x3 Women's Series.
• Zimmerman remains Columbia's all-time leader in points (1,973) and rebounds (940).
VILLANOVA POSTGAME NOTES🥇🏆👉🇺🇸🏀
— Columbia Women's Basketball (@CULionsWBB) December 4, 2023
𝙃𝙐𝙂𝙀 congratulations to our own @ZimmermanCam on winning 𝙂𝙊𝙇𝘿 with @usabasketball / @usab3x3 at the @FIBA @americupw 3𝙭3‼️
🦁🦁🦁
📰 https://t.co/DeNLXbj9Vn#EDGE // #RoarLionRoar 🦁 // #OnlyHere 🗽 pic.twitter.com/2ClsG9Qahz
• Columbia turned the ball over nine times, marking its first game with less than 10 turnovers since March 1, 2019, a 93-62 home win over Brown. The Lions played 104 games in-between those two, marking 1,738 days.
• Nicole Stephens had a career-high nine rebounds and played a career-high 29:27.
• Columbia shot 50 percent from 3-point range (9-18) for the first time since an 83-74 win at UMass on December 10, 2022 (14-28).
• Lucy Olsen's 33 points were the most by an opposing player since Ashley Joens scored 33 at then-No. 7/8 Iowa State on Nov. 20, 2022. ISU won the game, 99-76.
• Villanova's 21 assists marked the first 20+ assist game by an opponent since Iowa State last season.
ABOUT THE TIGERS
• Memphis (3-5) is coming off its best offensive performance of the season, hitting the century mark in a, 100-88, victory over Troy on Saturday at Elma Roane Fieldhouse in Memphis. Four Tiger players reached double-figure scoring. Madison Griggs led all players with 22 points while Kai Carter, Alasia Smith and Ki'Ari Cain combined for 53 of the team's points.
• Griggs (15.5) and Carter (14.3) lead the scoring effort for the Tigers. Griggs, a 3-point specialist, in 25-of-60 (.417) from long range this season. Her 3.12 made threes per game and 25 total threes each rank No. 18 in the NCAA. Smith heads the effort on the glass with 6.6 rebounds per game. She also averages 9.1 points.
• This will be the second-ever meeting between Columbia and Memphis. The two sides squared off for the first time on Nov. 8, 2022 for the season opener down in Tennessee. Columbia came out on top, 77-69, led by a game-high 24 points from Abbey Hsu.
FOLLOW THE LIONS
For the latest on the Columbia women's basketball, follow @CULionsWBB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, or on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
