Sunday, December 8
Glen Allen, Va. / Henrico Sports & Events Center
2:00 p.m.
Columbia University
vs
Richmond
Photo by: Sideline Media Productions
Women's Basketball Meets Richmond in Mid-Major Clash on Sunday
12/6/2024 5:31:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Conference heavyweights go head-to-head at the Holiday Cheer & Gear Classic
NEW YORK – A pair of reigning conference champions square off on Sunday when the Columbia women's basketball team (7-3) takes on Richmond (8-1) at 2 p.m. The neutral-site game is part of the Holiday Cheer & Gear Classic, presented by What's Your Game Plan?, at the Henrico Sports and Events Center in Glen Allen, Virginia. The game is part of a promotional event ahead of the 2025 Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Tournament.
TICKETS
• Fans traveling to the game can purchase tickets on Ticketmaster.
GAME COVERAGE
• Sunday's game is available live on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. Fans can track live statistics on StatBroadcast and the ESPN app. Live updates will also be posted to the Columbia women's basketball team's Twitter account (@CULionsWBB).
OPENING TIPS
• Columbia has seen historical moments each of the last two times it played Richmond. Megan Griffith earned her first career win when the Lions defeated the Spiders in Richmond in 2016. The following year in New York, Camille Zimmerman '18 became the program's all-time leading scorer with her 1,448th career point. She went on to finish her career with 1,973, holding the record up until Abbey Hsu (2,126) broke it last season.
• The Lions begin a stretch of 47 days without a home game, which is the longest span between home games in the country. They will play six games on the road before returning home to play Princeton on Monday, January 20. UC Irvine (46), Texas A&M Commerce (45), Indiana State (45) and Stephen F. Austin (40) are the only other teams that go 40+ days between home games.
• Columbia is coming off an 81-79 victory over San Francisco on Wednesday. Kitty Henderson recorded her first double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while sophomore Riley Weiss led all scorers with 24 points. The Lions broke a 77-all tie with one minute to go, scoring on back-to-back possessions.
• Kitty Henderson was named Ivy League Player of the Week for a second time this season on Monday. She shot 51 percent from the floor while averaging 22.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.0 steals in games against Ball State and Duke. She scored 20+ points in each contest, including a career-high 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting in a 69-62 victory over Ball State at the Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis.
• Kitty Henderson ranks among the top 10 in Columbia women's basketball history in three separate categories. The senior point guard is eighth in career points (1,088), fifth in career assists (396) and eighth in career steals (139). She is four assists away from becoming just the fourth player in program history to record 400.
• Kitty Henderson ranks No. 1 in the Ivy League in total assists (52) and assists per game (5.2). She is 16th in the NCAA in total assists and top 40 in assists per game. The senior from Australia also leads all qualified Ivy League players in field goal percentage (.488 – Min. 5 FG made per game).
• Cecelia Collins is second in the Ivy League in assists (48) and assists per game (4.8), ranking her 24th nationally in total assists.
• Riley Weiss leads Columbia and ranks No. 4 in the Ivies in scoring (17.4). Kitty Henderson (15.1) is sixth. Weiss's 174 total points rank her No. 25 in the NCAA.
• Weiss ranks No. 5 nationally in 3-point attempts (79) and No. 8 nationally in 3-point makes (29). She is also top 20 in the country in 3-pointers made per game (2.90). All of those marks lead the Ivy League.
• Henderson's 2.30 steals per game and 23 total steals each rank No. 2 in the Ivy League. Her 23 total steals are top 35 in the NCAA.
HSU LANDS ON TEAM USA
• Columbia women's basketball all-time leading scorer Abbey Hsu '24 has been selected to the USA Basketball 3x3 Women's AmeriCup Team. She is joined by Maddy Siegrist, Azurá Stevens and Brittney Sykes. This is Hsu's second time landing on a USA Basketball roster, winning silver with the USA 5x5 at the 2023 AmeriCup.
• The 2024 FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup takes place Dec. 12-15 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The American women tip off Pool A on Dec. 14 against the Dominican Republic (3:30 p.m. ET) and Uruguay (6:35 p.m. ET). Following pool play, the top two teams from each of the four three-team pools advance to the quarterfinals on Dec. 15.
SAN FRANCISCO POSTGAME NOTES
• Mia Broom's five blocks were the most in a game by a Lion since Jillian Borreson had seven in a 102-18 victory over Central Penn on Jan. 3, 2016.
• Kitty Henderson had her first double-double of the season and the sixth of her career.
• Kitty Henderson (1,088) passed Kaitlyn Davis (1,083) for eighth on Columbia's all-time scoring list.
• There were 2,733 in attendance as part of Columbia's 14th Education Day Game. Elementary school students from more than 20 New York City schools filled the bleachers.
• 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.).
THE OPPONENT
• After starting the year 8-0, Richmond suffered its first loss of the season on Wednesday night at Georgetown, 55-53. Victoria Rivera hit a 3-pointer with one second left to win the game. Richmond was coming off a dramatic win in a battle of unbeatens, getting 22 points from Maggie Doogan to take down Oklahoma State, 57-53, at the Daytona Beach Classic last weekend.
• Richmond ranks near the top of the Atlantic 10 Conference and NCAA in several categories but really separates itself on defense. The Spiders give up just 51.0 points per game, 11th-best in the NCAA, and hold opponents to 33.9 percent shooting, ranking 16th in the country. Rachel Ullstrom (15.8) and Maggie Doogan (14.3) head the offensive attack. Doogan, a 6-2 junior, is also No. 1 in the A10 in blocks (12) and blocks per game (1.33).
• This will be the third all-time meeting between the two programs and the first since Richmond came to New York City in 2017. Each team has won on the road, with the Lions earning a 65-58 win for Megan Griffith's first victory on November 13, 2016. The Spiders spoiled Columbia's home opener the next season, 85-79.
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.
TICKETS
• Fans traveling to the game can purchase tickets on Ticketmaster.
GAME COVERAGE
• Sunday's game is available live on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. Fans can track live statistics on StatBroadcast and the ESPN app. Live updates will also be posted to the Columbia women's basketball team's Twitter account (@CULionsWBB).
OPENING TIPS
• Columbia has seen historical moments each of the last two times it played Richmond. Megan Griffith earned her first career win when the Lions defeated the Spiders in Richmond in 2016. The following year in New York, Camille Zimmerman '18 became the program's all-time leading scorer with her 1,448th career point. She went on to finish her career with 1,973, holding the record up until Abbey Hsu (2,126) broke it last season.
• The Lions begin a stretch of 47 days without a home game, which is the longest span between home games in the country. They will play six games on the road before returning home to play Princeton on Monday, January 20. UC Irvine (46), Texas A&M Commerce (45), Indiana State (45) and Stephen F. Austin (40) are the only other teams that go 40+ days between home games.
• Columbia is coming off an 81-79 victory over San Francisco on Wednesday. Kitty Henderson recorded her first double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while sophomore Riley Weiss led all scorers with 24 points. The Lions broke a 77-all tie with one minute to go, scoring on back-to-back possessions.
• Kitty Henderson was named Ivy League Player of the Week for a second time this season on Monday. She shot 51 percent from the floor while averaging 22.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.0 steals in games against Ball State and Duke. She scored 20+ points in each contest, including a career-high 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting in a 69-62 victory over Ball State at the Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis.
• Kitty Henderson ranks among the top 10 in Columbia women's basketball history in three separate categories. The senior point guard is eighth in career points (1,088), fifth in career assists (396) and eighth in career steals (139). She is four assists away from becoming just the fourth player in program history to record 400.
RANKING THE LIONSMoving on 🆙
— Columbia Women's Basketball (@CULionsWBB) December 2, 2024
Did you know, Kitty Henderson is now in the Top 🔟 in program history in scoring, steals AND assists?!?! 🧗♀️#EDGE | #RoarLionRoar | #OnlyHere 🦁🗽 pic.twitter.com/SFF5BSScJU
• Kitty Henderson ranks No. 1 in the Ivy League in total assists (52) and assists per game (5.2). She is 16th in the NCAA in total assists and top 40 in assists per game. The senior from Australia also leads all qualified Ivy League players in field goal percentage (.488 – Min. 5 FG made per game).
• Cecelia Collins is second in the Ivy League in assists (48) and assists per game (4.8), ranking her 24th nationally in total assists.
• Riley Weiss leads Columbia and ranks No. 4 in the Ivies in scoring (17.4). Kitty Henderson (15.1) is sixth. Weiss's 174 total points rank her No. 25 in the NCAA.
• Weiss ranks No. 5 nationally in 3-point attempts (79) and No. 8 nationally in 3-point makes (29). She is also top 20 in the country in 3-pointers made per game (2.90). All of those marks lead the Ivy League.
• Henderson's 2.30 steals per game and 23 total steals each rank No. 2 in the Ivy League. Her 23 total steals are top 35 in the NCAA.
HSU LANDS ON TEAM USA
• Columbia women's basketball all-time leading scorer Abbey Hsu '24 has been selected to the USA Basketball 3x3 Women's AmeriCup Team. She is joined by Maddy Siegrist, Azurá Stevens and Brittney Sykes. This is Hsu's second time landing on a USA Basketball roster, winning silver with the USA 5x5 at the 2023 AmeriCup.
• The 2024 FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup takes place Dec. 12-15 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The American women tip off Pool A on Dec. 14 against the Dominican Republic (3:30 p.m. ET) and Uruguay (6:35 p.m. ET). Following pool play, the top two teams from each of the four three-team pools advance to the quarterfinals on Dec. 15.
SAN FRANCISCO POSTGAME NOTES
• Mia Broom's five blocks were the most in a game by a Lion since Jillian Borreson had seven in a 102-18 victory over Central Penn on Jan. 3, 2016.
• Kitty Henderson had her first double-double of the season and the sixth of her career.
• Kitty Henderson (1,088) passed Kaitlyn Davis (1,083) for eighth on Columbia's all-time scoring list.
• There were 2,733 in attendance as part of Columbia's 14th Education Day Game. Elementary school students from more than 20 New York City schools filled the bleachers.
SETTING THE STANDARDToday's top scorers from our win over San Francisco 🦁#EDGE | #RoarLionRoar | #OnlyHere 🗽 pic.twitter.com/AejS73mnZt
— Columbia Women's Basketball (@CULionsWBB) December 4, 2024
• 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.).
THE OPPONENT
• After starting the year 8-0, Richmond suffered its first loss of the season on Wednesday night at Georgetown, 55-53. Victoria Rivera hit a 3-pointer with one second left to win the game. Richmond was coming off a dramatic win in a battle of unbeatens, getting 22 points from Maggie Doogan to take down Oklahoma State, 57-53, at the Daytona Beach Classic last weekend.
• Richmond ranks near the top of the Atlantic 10 Conference and NCAA in several categories but really separates itself on defense. The Spiders give up just 51.0 points per game, 11th-best in the NCAA, and hold opponents to 33.9 percent shooting, ranking 16th in the country. Rachel Ullstrom (15.8) and Maggie Doogan (14.3) head the offensive attack. Doogan, a 6-2 junior, is also No. 1 in the A10 in blocks (12) and blocks per game (1.33).
• This will be the third all-time meeting between the two programs and the first since Richmond came to New York City in 2017. Each team has won on the road, with the Lions earning a 65-58 win for Megan Griffith's first victory on November 13, 2016. The Spiders spoiled Columbia's home opener the next season, 85-79.
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.
Players Mentioned
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