NEW YORK – Columbia women's basketball (21-4, 10-2 Ivy) hits the road for the final time in the regular season to face off against Brown (11-13, 4-8 Ivy) on Saturday. Tipoff from the Pizzitola Sports Center in Providence, Rhode Island is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET.
GAME COVERAGE
Saturday's game will air on
ESPN3. Fans wishing to access the game on ESPN3 will need to verify their TV provider in order to view it on their desktop or the ESPN app.
Live stats will be available courtesy of BrownBears.com. Fans can also follow @CULionsWBB on
Twitter and
Instagram for content through the weekend, including live in-game updates.
TICKETS
Fans who are planning to make the trip to Providence can purchase tickets ahead of time at
Tickets.brown.edu. Tickets can also be purchased on-site at the game.
WHAT TO KNOW:
THE IVY TITLE RACE
• The Lions control their own destiny to win at least a share of their first Ivy League title. Entering Friday, they are tied atop the standings with Princeton at 10-2. Penn and Harvard are each two games back at 8-4. Princeton will play Harvard Friday night in New Jersey before closing the regular season next Friday at Penn. The Lions close with Brown this Saturday and Cornell in New York City next Saturday.
IVY MADNESS CLINCHERS
• Columbia has clinched its third-consecutive berth into the Ivy League Tournament. This year's women's tournament will be held March 10-11 at Jadwin Gymnasium in Princeton, New Jersey. Columbia will clinch one of the top two seeds with one more victory.
• The field for this year's women's tournament has already been decided, with Columbia, Princeton, Harvard and Penn all clinching their spots last weekend. Seeding amongst the four teams is still up for grabs. Fans can
click here to visit the Ivy League's tournament seeding and tie-breaking procedures.
35 FOR #35
•
Abbey Hsu scored a career-high 35 points in Columbia's 75-70 victory at Harvard (Feb. 17). In doing so, she became the fifth Lion in program history to score 35 or more points in a game, as well as the first since Camille Zimmerman '18CC scored 37 at Dartmouth in a quadruple overtime win on Jan. 27, 2017. Hsu also went 13-for-18 from the field in that performance, which ties for the second-most made field goals in a game in program history, one behind Kristina Tyer's program record (14-23), which came against Stony Brook on Feb. 10, 1987. Hsu's 13 made field goals were the most by a Lion since Edytte Key at Penn on March 1, 2002.
• Hsu was named Ivy League Player of the Week for a league-high fourth time on Monday. Hsu leads the country in 3-pointers made per game (3.60), is No. 3 in total threes (90) and top 25 in 3-point percentage (.417). Hsu is also the Ivy League's leading scorer (18.2).
DEFENSE DOMINATES DARTMOUTH
• Columbia defeated Dartmouth, 80-37, on February 18 in Hanover, New Hampshire. In the victory, the Lions set a new program record for the fewest points allowed against a Div. I opponent. Prior to that, the previous record was 38 points, which was accomplished in both 2015 and in last year's Ivy League Tournament semifinal, a 67-38 victory over Yale.
COACH G ON THE CUSP
• Head coach
Megan Griffith is two wins from tying Nancy Kalafus (1984-91) for the most coaching victories in program history. Kalafus went 94-87 (.519) in seven seasons, which included the historic 1985-86 season that saw the Lions advance to the NCAA Div. III Regionals. Griffith, in her seventh year at the helm, enters the weekend with a record of 92-75 (.551).
NATIONAL LEADERS
• Columbia ranks No. 8 in the country in 3-pointers made per game (9.3) and No. 21 in 3-point field goal percentage (.364). They are also No. 4 in the NCAA in assists per game (19.1), No. 10 in scoring margin (+17.8), No. 11 in rebounding margin (+9.6), No. 12 in scoring (79.7), No. 12 in rebounds (43.12) and No. 17 in offensive rebounds (15.0).
HARVARD-DARTMOUTH POSTGAME NOTES
•
Abbey Hsu's 35 points against Harvard were the most by a Lion since Camille Zimmerman '18CC scored a career-high 37 in a quadruple overtime, 91-88, victory at Dartmouth on Jan. 27, 2017.
• Hsu went 13-for-18 from the field against Harvard, becoming the first Lion since Edytte Key in 2002 to make 13 field goals in a game. It tied for the second-most made field goals in a game in program history, one behind Kristina Tyer's program record (14-23) against Stony Brook on Feb. 10, 1987.
•
Kaitlyn Davis' season-high 15 rebounds at Harvard were her most in a game since Feb. 4, 2022 at Penn.
• Columbia's 37 points allowed against Dartmouth were its fewest against a Div. I opponent in program history.
• The Lions held Dartmouth under 30 percent shooting, marking the sixth time they have held an opponent under that mark this season.
•
Carly Rivera posted a season-high seven assists at Dartmouth. She moved into sole possession of ninth in program history with 274 career assists.
• Hsu passed Tori Oliver for sole possession of third on Columbia's all-time scoring list (1,364).
•
Jaida Patrick played a career-high 38:40 at Harvard.
IN THE POLLS
• Columbia is back to receiving votes this week in the AP Poll. The Lions received their first votes in the AP Top 25 in program history, debuting with two votes in the Week 6 Poll (Dec. 12). The Lions have now received votes in six AP Polls this season.
• Columbia currently ranks No. 5 in the CollegeInsider.com Women's Mid-Major Top 25. Columbia began the 2022-23 season ranked No. 9 and peaked at No. 2.
• After receiving 18 votes in the USA Today Sports Coaches Poll, the Lions dropped out following a loss to Princeton (Feb. 4). They debuted on Jan. 3 and received votes for five straight weeks.
QUICK HITS
• Columbia's 21-4 overall record stands alone as its best through 25 games in program history.
• Columbia is a combined 46-11 (.807) over the course of the last two seasons.
•
Abbey Hsu leads the Ivy League in scoring (18.2), 3-point percentage (.417) and 3-pointers made (90).
• Hsu (18.2),
Kaitlyn Davis (12.8) and
Jaida Patrick (12.6) all rank top 10 in the Ivy League in scoring.
Hannah Pratt (9.8) and
Kitty Henderson (9.3) are among the top 25.
•
Kaitlyn Davis (8.3) ranks No. 3 in the Ivy League in rebounding. Six Lions (Davis, Pratt, Henderson, Patrick, Lauder, Hsu) rank inside the top 25.
•
Kitty Henderson ranks No. 2 in the Ivy League in assists (104) and assists per game (4.3). Henderson, Davis (3.5) and Patrick (2.8) rank in the top 10.
Carly Rivera (2.7) and Hsu (2.3) rank top 15 in the Ivy League.
• Davis (.519) ranks No. 3 in the Ivies in field goal percentage. Pratt (.451) and Hsu (.433) also rank in the top 10. Henderson (.421) and Patrick (.409) are 12th and 13th, respectively.
• Davis, Patrick and Pratt are all tied for sixth in the Ivy League with 20 blocks apiece this season (0.8/game).
• Patrick (2.0) and Davis (1.7) rank top 10 in the Ivies in steals. Henderson (1.2) and Hsu (1.2) are top 20.
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.
