Friday, November 8
Providence, R.I.
7:00 p.m.
Columbia University
at
Providence
Photo by: Columbia University Athletics / Lem Photography
Providence, FGCU on Deck for Women’s Basketball
11/7/2024 3:54:00 PM | Women's Basketball
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Lions travel to Providence Friday, host FGCU Monday
NEW YORK – The Columbia women's basketball team (1-0) plays two games over the next four days, traveling to Providence College (1-0) on Friday and returning home to battle FGCU (0-1) on Monday. Both games are scheduled to tip at 7 p.m.
TICKET INFORMATION
• Fans traveling to Providence can click here for ticket information and to purchase tickets. Fans attending Monday's home game against FGCU are encouraged to purchase tickets ahead of time by visiting GoColumbiaLions.com/Tickets. Fans can also purchase tickets on-site at the ticket window.
GAME COVERAGE
• Friday's game will be available for streaming on FloCollege.com. A subscription to FloCollege is required to access the stream. Monday's home game is available live on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. Fans can also access live statistics on each team's athletics website and the ESPN app. Live updates will also be posted to the Columbia women's basketball team's Twitter account (@CULionsWBB).
WHAT TO KNOW:
OPENING TIPS
• Columbia has won eight of its last nine games against BIG EAST opponents, all of which have come in the Megan Griffith head-coaching era (2016-pres.). That includes a 3-0 record against Providence, 2-0 vs. Georgetown, 1-0 vs. Villanova and 2-1 vs. Seton Hall. The Lions earned their first BIG EAST win in program history when they defeated Providence in overtime, 66-64, on Dec. 7, 2016 in New York.
• Last year, Perri Page put together a career performance as part of Columbia's, 77-52, victory over Providence. Page recorded her first collegiate double-double with then-career-highs of 18 points and 10 boards. She shot a career-best 7-of-11 (.636) from the field, went 2-for-2 from long range and also recorded career-bests in assists (3) and minutes played (28:12).
• Monday's game against FGCU will be the first between the two programs. Columbia last played one of the Atlantic Sun's 12 current members in December of 2004, defeating Austin Peay, 62-42, in New York. At the time, Austin Peay was a member of the Ohio Valley Conference.
• The Lions are coming off a 40-point victory against Stony Brook, 87-47, in the season opener on Monday. The 40-point margin was Columbia's largest victory in a season opener in 40 years. Sophomore Riley Weiss matched a career-high with 18 points. Junior co-captain Perri Page posted a career-high 12 rebounds.
• Senior point guard Kitty Henderson pulled into a tie for sixth on Columbia's all-time assists leaders. She has 351 assists in her career. Next on that list is Lions' head coach Megan Griffith (373), who played from 2003-07.
STONY BROOK POSTGAME NOTES
• The 40-point win was Columbia's largest series victory in program history (previous 16). It was also Columbia's largest in a game since defeating Northeastern by 43 last November, and was the largest for the Lions in a season opener since Nov. 20, 1984, defeating John Jay, 72-20, in the first year of Columbia WBB.
• Sophomore Emily Montes, and first-years Maria Arrebola, Marta Jaama and Nasi Simmons scored their first collegiate points. Sophomore transfer Marija Avlijas (Ole Miss) scored her first points as a Lion.
• Riley Weiss matched a career-high with 18 points, leading the team in scoring for the third time in her career. Perri Page had a career-high 12 rebounds
• Kitty Henderson had seven assists and zero turnovers, her most assists in a single game without a turnover in her career.
• Columbia held Stony Brook without a made 3-pointer (0-8). The Lions have actually held their opponent without a trey in two of their last five games dating back to last season. Cornell went 0-for-13 in an 82-46 Columbia victory on March 9, 2024.
• Columbia's 16 steals were its most in a game since Feb. 18, 2023 in an 80-37 victory at Dartmouth (16).
• Ten of Columbia 13 non-conference games will come against teams that competed in last year's NCAA Tournament, WBIT or WNIT.
• Each of Columbia's first nine opponents competed in a 2024 postseason tournament.
• Guaranteed 2024 NCAA Tournament teams on Columbia's schedule include Florida Gulf Coast (Nov. 11), Indiana (Nov. 23), Duke (Dec. 1) and Richmond (Dec. 8).
• Two more potential NCAA Tournament teams await Columbia at the Battle4Atlantis, where they could potentially square off against Baylor, UNC or Texas A&M in the next two rounds.
• The non-conference schedule also includes three guaranteed games against NET Top 50 teams from last season (Indiana, Duke, Villanova).
• Columbia could face more NET Top 50 teams at the Battle4Atlantis.
• The non-conference schedule also includes at least seven games against teams inside last year's NET Top 100.
HOME-COURT ADVANTAGE
• Columbia is a combined 29-4 (.879) at home over the last two seasons.
• The Lions have won 14 straight regular-season games at home.
• Columbia went 14-1 (.933) at home during the 2023-24 regular season.
• Columbia's last regular season loss at home was a narrow, 66-62, defeat against Duke (Nov. 14, 2023).
KITTY CLAWING TOWARD 1K
• Kitty Henderson has 954 career points and is now 46 away from becoming the 15th player in program history to eclipse 1,000.
• Cecelia Collins is the only active player on the roster with 1,000 career points, scoring 688 of them between her freshman and sophomore years at Bucknell, followed by 410 in her first year at Columbia.
• Henderson also has 351 career assists to sit tied for sixth all-time with Wendy Rosov (1982-86).
COACH OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST
• Head coach Megan Griffith was named to the Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Watch List by Her Hoops Stats. Griffith is the winningest coach in Columbia women's basketball history, entering the season with a record of 122-84 (.592). She has coached the Lions to a 76-20 (.792) overall record since the start of the 2021-22 season and has been named the Ivy League Coach of the Year each of the last two seasons.
• Columbia has evolved into an Ivy League powerhouse, coming off back-to-back regular-season championships, its first two Ivy League championships in program history.
• The Lions earned their first NCAA Tournament appearance last season, receiving a 12 seed as an at-large bid, just the second at-large selection in women's basketball in Ivy League history (2016). They played in the First Four against Vanderbilt, falling in a close contest, 72-68.
• Columbia is coming off three straight 20-win seasons, posting overall records of 25-7 (2021-22), 28-6 (2022-23) and 23-7 (2023-24). The 2021-22 team earned the program's first bid to a postseason tournament in its Division I history. The following year, the Lions advanced all the way to the WNIT Championship Game against Kansas. Last season, they earned their first selection to the Big Dance. Prior to 2021, the Lions had never had a 20-win season in their Division I history (1986-pres.).
PRESEASON NUGGETS
• Columbia begins its 40th varsity season and 38th competing at the NCAA Div. I level as a member of the Ivy League. The program's first season competing as the Columbia-Barnard Athletic Consortium was 1984-85, followed by its first season competing in both the Ivy League and NCAA Div. I in 1986-87. The 2020-21 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Columbia returns eight of its 14 players from the 2023-24 season. The Lions return four of its five starters from last year's team. The Lions return 62.4 percent of their scoring and 65.9 percent of their rebounding. Six of the eight returners played in at least 28 games last season, three of which started at least 27.
• Kitty Henderson and Cecelia Collins are Columbia's top two returners. Both were named Second Team All-Ivy League last season, each ranking top 15 in the Ivies in scoring and top 5 in assists.
• The Lions have five newcomers to the roster this year, welcoming four first-years and one sophomore transfer, Marija Avlijas, who played last season at Ole Miss.
THE OPPONENTS
• Providence opened the year with a comfortable win over NCAA Division II Mercy University, 64-32, on Monday. Olivia Olsen paced the Friars with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Providence was picked to finish third in the 2024-25 BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll, released at the league's annual media day in New York City on Oct. 23. The Friars feature a veteran roster heading into the season and will be led by three grad students and seven seniors. Last year, they went 13-21, 6-12 BIG EAST, and earned a bid to the WNIT. The fell in their first game to Colgate, 54-41.
• FGCU is a perennial powerhouse in the Atlantic Sun Conference. The Eagles have advanced to seven straight NCAA Tournaments, including First Round wins in both 2022 and 2023, are coming off a 29-5 campaign and their eighth straight ASUN Tournament title. This year, Florida Gulf Coast took an uncharacteristic season-opening loss at Davidson, 57-56, on Tuesday. Skyler Gill's potential game-winning shot in the final seconds spun out. FGCU led by as many as 11 late in the third quarter. Emani Jefferson led the way for the Eagles with 15 points (7-10 FG). Gill posted a team-high seven rebounds.
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.
TICKET INFORMATION
• Fans traveling to Providence can click here for ticket information and to purchase tickets. Fans attending Monday's home game against FGCU are encouraged to purchase tickets ahead of time by visiting GoColumbiaLions.com/Tickets. Fans can also purchase tickets on-site at the ticket window.
GAME COVERAGE
• Friday's game will be available for streaming on FloCollege.com. A subscription to FloCollege is required to access the stream. Monday's home game is available live on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. Fans can also access live statistics on each team's athletics website and the ESPN app. Live updates will also be posted to the Columbia women's basketball team's Twitter account (@CULionsWBB).
WHAT TO KNOW:
OPENING TIPS
• Columbia has won eight of its last nine games against BIG EAST opponents, all of which have come in the Megan Griffith head-coaching era (2016-pres.). That includes a 3-0 record against Providence, 2-0 vs. Georgetown, 1-0 vs. Villanova and 2-1 vs. Seton Hall. The Lions earned their first BIG EAST win in program history when they defeated Providence in overtime, 66-64, on Dec. 7, 2016 in New York.
• Last year, Perri Page put together a career performance as part of Columbia's, 77-52, victory over Providence. Page recorded her first collegiate double-double with then-career-highs of 18 points and 10 boards. She shot a career-best 7-of-11 (.636) from the field, went 2-for-2 from long range and also recorded career-bests in assists (3) and minutes played (28:12).
• Monday's game against FGCU will be the first between the two programs. Columbia last played one of the Atlantic Sun's 12 current members in December of 2004, defeating Austin Peay, 62-42, in New York. At the time, Austin Peay was a member of the Ohio Valley Conference.
• The Lions are coming off a 40-point victory against Stony Brook, 87-47, in the season opener on Monday. The 40-point margin was Columbia's largest victory in a season opener in 40 years. Sophomore Riley Weiss matched a career-high with 18 points. Junior co-captain Perri Page posted a career-high 12 rebounds.
• Senior point guard Kitty Henderson pulled into a tie for sixth on Columbia's all-time assists leaders. She has 351 assists in her career. Next on that list is Lions' head coach Megan Griffith (373), who played from 2003-07.
STONY BROOK POSTGAME NOTES
• The 40-point win was Columbia's largest series victory in program history (previous 16). It was also Columbia's largest in a game since defeating Northeastern by 43 last November, and was the largest for the Lions in a season opener since Nov. 20, 1984, defeating John Jay, 72-20, in the first year of Columbia WBB.
• Sophomore Emily Montes, and first-years Maria Arrebola, Marta Jaama and Nasi Simmons scored their first collegiate points. Sophomore transfer Marija Avlijas (Ole Miss) scored her first points as a Lion.
• Riley Weiss matched a career-high with 18 points, leading the team in scoring for the third time in her career. Perri Page had a career-high 12 rebounds
• Kitty Henderson had seven assists and zero turnovers, her most assists in a single game without a turnover in her career.
• Columbia held Stony Brook without a made 3-pointer (0-8). The Lions have actually held their opponent without a trey in two of their last five games dating back to last season. Cornell went 0-for-13 in an 82-46 Columbia victory on March 9, 2024.
• Columbia's 16 steals were its most in a game since Feb. 18, 2023 in an 80-37 victory at Dartmouth (16).
POSTSEASON PREPOur top performers from Monday night's win#EDGE | #RoarLionRoar | #OnlyHere 🦁🗽 pic.twitter.com/JvLPiAzlus
— Columbia Women's Basketball (@CULionsWBB) November 5, 2024
• Ten of Columbia 13 non-conference games will come against teams that competed in last year's NCAA Tournament, WBIT or WNIT.
• Each of Columbia's first nine opponents competed in a 2024 postseason tournament.
• Guaranteed 2024 NCAA Tournament teams on Columbia's schedule include Florida Gulf Coast (Nov. 11), Indiana (Nov. 23), Duke (Dec. 1) and Richmond (Dec. 8).
• Two more potential NCAA Tournament teams await Columbia at the Battle4Atlantis, where they could potentially square off against Baylor, UNC or Texas A&M in the next two rounds.
• The non-conference schedule also includes three guaranteed games against NET Top 50 teams from last season (Indiana, Duke, Villanova).
• Columbia could face more NET Top 50 teams at the Battle4Atlantis.
• The non-conference schedule also includes at least seven games against teams inside last year's NET Top 100.
HOME-COURT ADVANTAGE
• Columbia is a combined 29-4 (.879) at home over the last two seasons.
• The Lions have won 14 straight regular-season games at home.
• Columbia went 14-1 (.933) at home during the 2023-24 regular season.
• Columbia's last regular season loss at home was a narrow, 66-62, defeat against Duke (Nov. 14, 2023).
KITTY CLAWING TOWARD 1K
• Kitty Henderson has 954 career points and is now 46 away from becoming the 15th player in program history to eclipse 1,000.
• Cecelia Collins is the only active player on the roster with 1,000 career points, scoring 688 of them between her freshman and sophomore years at Bucknell, followed by 410 in her first year at Columbia.
• Henderson also has 351 career assists to sit tied for sixth all-time with Wendy Rosov (1982-86).
COACH OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST
• Head coach Megan Griffith was named to the Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Watch List by Her Hoops Stats. Griffith is the winningest coach in Columbia women's basketball history, entering the season with a record of 122-84 (.592). She has coached the Lions to a 76-20 (.792) overall record since the start of the 2021-22 season and has been named the Ivy League Coach of the Year each of the last two seasons.
SETTING THE STANDARDBest in the business! 🙌 Congrats to @CUCoachG on once again being named to the Mid-Major Coach of the Year Watch List 👀🏆
— Columbia Women's Basketball (@CULionsWBB) October 23, 2024
📰 https://t.co/YQV7hmQkbs#RoarLionRoar // #EDGE // #OnlyHere 🦁🏀🗽 pic.twitter.com/5Ly2BoHzQI
• Columbia has evolved into an Ivy League powerhouse, coming off back-to-back regular-season championships, its first two Ivy League championships in program history.
• The Lions earned their first NCAA Tournament appearance last season, receiving a 12 seed as an at-large bid, just the second at-large selection in women's basketball in Ivy League history (2016). They played in the First Four against Vanderbilt, falling in a close contest, 72-68.
• Columbia is coming off three straight 20-win seasons, posting overall records of 25-7 (2021-22), 28-6 (2022-23) and 23-7 (2023-24). The 2021-22 team earned the program's first bid to a postseason tournament in its Division I history. The following year, the Lions advanced all the way to the WNIT Championship Game against Kansas. Last season, they earned their first selection to the Big Dance. Prior to 2021, the Lions had never had a 20-win season in their Division I history (1986-pres.).
PRESEASON NUGGETS
• Columbia begins its 40th varsity season and 38th competing at the NCAA Div. I level as a member of the Ivy League. The program's first season competing as the Columbia-Barnard Athletic Consortium was 1984-85, followed by its first season competing in both the Ivy League and NCAA Div. I in 1986-87. The 2020-21 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Columbia returns eight of its 14 players from the 2023-24 season. The Lions return four of its five starters from last year's team. The Lions return 62.4 percent of their scoring and 65.9 percent of their rebounding. Six of the eight returners played in at least 28 games last season, three of which started at least 27.
• Kitty Henderson and Cecelia Collins are Columbia's top two returners. Both were named Second Team All-Ivy League last season, each ranking top 15 in the Ivies in scoring and top 5 in assists.
• The Lions have five newcomers to the roster this year, welcoming four first-years and one sophomore transfer, Marija Avlijas, who played last season at Ole Miss.
THE OPPONENTS
• Providence opened the year with a comfortable win over NCAA Division II Mercy University, 64-32, on Monday. Olivia Olsen paced the Friars with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Providence was picked to finish third in the 2024-25 BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll, released at the league's annual media day in New York City on Oct. 23. The Friars feature a veteran roster heading into the season and will be led by three grad students and seven seniors. Last year, they went 13-21, 6-12 BIG EAST, and earned a bid to the WNIT. The fell in their first game to Colgate, 54-41.
• FGCU is a perennial powerhouse in the Atlantic Sun Conference. The Eagles have advanced to seven straight NCAA Tournaments, including First Round wins in both 2022 and 2023, are coming off a 29-5 campaign and their eighth straight ASUN Tournament title. This year, Florida Gulf Coast took an uncharacteristic season-opening loss at Davidson, 57-56, on Tuesday. Skyler Gill's potential game-winning shot in the final seconds spun out. FGCU led by as many as 11 late in the third quarter. Emani Jefferson led the way for the Eagles with 15 points (7-10 FG). Gill posted a team-high seven rebounds.
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.
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