CAMBRIDGE, Mass. —
Abbey Hsu's point total matched the number on her jersey. The junior netted a career-high 35, including six threes, to lead the Columbia women's basketball team to a 75-70 victory over Harvard Friday night at Lavietes Pavilion.
Columbia (20-4, 9-2 Ivy) secured its second-consecutive 20-win season and clinched its third-consecutive berth into the Ivy League Tournament. The Lions also remained atop the league standings with three games to go in the regular season.
It wasn't easy against Harvard (14-9, 7-4 Ivy), which led by one point at the end of the first and second quarters. However, Columbia began the second half on a 9-0 run and never trailed again. Hsu scored 12 in the period and followed with her sixth 3-pointer of the night to put the Lions up 17 with 6:02 to go.
Harvard rallied down the stretch, cutting it to five for the first time with under a minute remaining. They would get no closer than that.
"We started the second half the way we have been doing [all season] in these tight games. We opened it up to 17 with six minutes to go, and that was looking good," head coach
Megan Griffith said with a wry smile in her postgame interview. "I just thought it was a good test for us, honestly. We're going to see that in the postseason. It was a great experience and we're just thankful that we got the W and can get on the road."
Hsu started the game 6-for-6 from the field on her way to a 13-of-18 shooting night that included going 6-for-10 from deep. She scored 10 of Columbia's 11 points in the second quarter and was a big part of opening up the lead in the second half. Hsu tallied the final five points of a third quarter that saw the Lions outscore Harvard, 26-11.
"My shot was falling so it allowed me to drive to the rim a little bit more, which felt good," said Hsu speaking to ESPN+ in a postgame interview. "When your shot feels good, it gives you more confidence to go to the rim and do stuff like that."
Griffith commended Hsu for her continued growth as a leader.
"Abbey wants the moment now," Griffith said. "I'm really proud of her for the growth she's taken as a leader on the floor. Knowing you can get her the ball and make something happen, and the defense is flying around hanging all over her, it creates a lot of mismatches for us off of that too."
Kaitlyn Davis was huge for Columbia as well, scoring 12 points to go with a game- and season-high 15 rebounds. The senior also added four assists.
Jaida Patrick filled up the stat sheet with 14 points, six boards, two assists, three steals and a block.
Lola Mullaney led a trio of Crimson in double figures with 22 points.
Columbia closes out a back-to-back road weekend Saturday at Dartmouth. Tipoff from Leede Arena in Hanover, New Hampshire is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET.
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