Columbia University
Wagner
Wagner Presents Women's Basketball One Final Test Before Exams
12/9/2023 8:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Interborough rivalry renewed for the first time since 2015
NEW YORK – The Columbia women's basketball team (6-4) hopes to close out a five-game homestand a perfect 5-0 when it renews an interborough rivalry against Wagner College (2-5) on Sunday. Tip-off from Schiller Court at Levien Gymnasium is set for 2 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.
GAME COVERAGE
• Fans unable to attend Sunday's game can tune in live on ESPN+. Lance Medow and Lauren Dwyer '11CC, '16BUS 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:
OPENING TIPS
• The Lions are riding a season-long four-game winning streak, which includes back-to-back wins over Big East opponents Providence, 77-52, and Villanova, 77-75. During the streak, Columbia is outscoring opponents by 20 points per game, shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 42.5 percent from 3-point range.
• Columbia is 6-1 at home this season, where they have allowed just 60.3 points per game. In comparison, they are 0-3 on the road, where they have allowed 80.3 points per game vs. Stony Brook, Georgia and Florida.
• With three assists in Wednesday's win over Memphis, junior Kitty Henderson has entered Columbia's Top 10 all-time. She passed Sara Yee (2006-10) for the No. 10 spot and now has 268 in her career. Henderson averages 4.5 assists per game this season, No. 2 in the Ivy League, and 3.6 per game for her career.
• Columbia enters the contest leading the Ivy League in nine NCAA-ranked statistics, which includes scoring offense (74.2), scoring margin (+7.9), 3-point percentage (.352), 3-pointers made per game (9.0), field goal percentage (.437), assists (16.8), bench points per game (21.8) and assist/turnover ratio (1.04).
• Abbey Hsu enters Sunday's contest as the Ivy League's leading scorer at 21.2 points per game, which also ranks No. 17 nationally. She is No. 6 in the NCAA in total points (212) and total field goals made (79). Her 28 made threes rank 15th. She leads the Ivies in all of the aforementioned categories.
• Nicole Stephens is coming off a career-high 14 points in the win against Memphis. She made a career-best three triples and posted the second double-figure scoring game of her career (Jan. 15, 2022 at Harvard).
NON-CONFERENCE STRENGTHToday's @nyphospital Players of the Game!
— Columbia Women's Basketball (@CULionsWBB) December 7, 2023
🧱 @Nicole__S21
👟 @abigailvhsu #RoarLionRoar // #EDGE 🦁🏀 pic.twitter.com/FkEQuxCuJm
• In terms of opponents' wins and losses, Columbia currently boasts one of the toughest strengths of schedule in the country. Entering the weekend, the 10 opponents Columbia has played so far this season boast a combined record of 49-24 (.671), which ranks as the 37th-toughest schedule in the NCAA. Among Ivy League teams, only Princeton holds a slightly tougher strength of schedule, ranking 29th in the country (45-21, .682).
DOWN TO THE WIRE
• Columbia defeated Villanova, 77-75, in a memorable finish on Dec. 3 at Levien Gym.
• Trailing by two and inbounding with 13.0 seconds remaining, the Lions took the lead on an Abbey Hsu three-point play with 8.7 ticks on the clock.
• Hsu's bucket was the first go-ahead, game-winner with less than 10 seconds remaining since Camille Zimmerman did it in overtime against Providence on Dec. 7, 2016 with 7.5 seconds remaining.
• For the record, the last time Columbia hit a buzzer-beater to win was Dec. 30, 2009, when Lauren Dwyer received an inbounds pass with 1.9 to go and banked in a 3-pointer at the buzzer to defeat Robert Morris, 64-63.
• Columbia lost on a buzzer-beater earlier this season against Florida in The Bahamas. The Lions took the lead with 1.3 seconds to go, but Florida called a timeout to advance the ball and heaved in a triple as time expired.
MEMPHIS POSTGAME NOTESDown by two with 13.0 seconds to play, here's how the Lions came out on top against Villanova! #RoarLionRoar // #EDGE // #OnllyHere 🦁🏀🗽@MarchMadnessWBB @IvyLeague @GoColumbiaLions pic.twitter.com/515PiHlWTs
— Columbia Women's Basketball (@CULionsWBB) December 3, 2023
• Nicole Stephens' career-high 14 points were the most she scored in a game since her rookie season, when she netted 12 in a 72-64 win at Harvard on Jan. 15, 2022.
• Noa Comesaña scored a season-high six points on 3-of-3 shooting
• Abbey Hsu posted her second 20-10 game of the season and third in her last 15 games dating back to last season. She did not have a 20-10 game over the first 88 games of her career.
• Kitty Henderson shot a career-high 10 free throws
• Fliss Henderson posted season-highs in rebounds (8) and minutes played (28:03).
• Columbia won its first game of the season when trailing at halftime (trailed 29-27).
JUST FOR FUN
• Paige Lauder is averaging 4.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 0.4 steals and 0.4 blocks.
• A senior from Malvern, Pa., Lauder has played in all 10 games off the bench and averages 16.6 minutes.
ABOUT THE SEAHAWKS
• Wagner (2-5) has won back-to-back games, each by identical scores, 69-67, topping Navy in Staten Island on November 30 and St. Peter's in Jersey City this past Wednesday. Taleah Washington's game-winner with two seconds remaining lifted Wagner to victory over the Peacocks. Washington led the way with a career-high 23 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Wagner overcame an 11-point deficit entering the fourth quarter by outscoring St. Peter's 27-14 in the period.
• Semie Brar averages a team-high 11.6 points per game and is the lone Seahawk averaging double figures. She shoots 38 percent from the floor and is 14-for-41 (.341) from the outside. Washington averages 8.3 points while Kiera Edmonds averages a team-high 7.1 rebounds.
• The series between Columbia and Wagner dates back to Columbia's second season as a Div. I program. The Lions won the inaugural matchup, 66-62, on Dec. 8, 1987 at Levien Gymnasium. The two sides went on to square off 25 times over a 28-year span, ending in 2015. Sunday will mark the first series matchup in eight seasons. Wagner leads the all-time tilt, 17-8.
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.
