Saturday, February 7
New York, N.Y.
2:00 P.M.
Columbia
vs
Cornell
Photo by: Columbia University Athletics / Anastasija Ignjatovic
Men’s Basketball Hosts Cornell in Key Ivy Matchup on Saturday
2/6/2026 11:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The Lions and Big Red faceoff amidst a logjam in the conference standings
NEW YORK — Columbia men's basketball welcomes Cornell on Saturday as the second half of the Ivy League slate begins. Tip-off from Schiller Court at Levien Gymnasium is set for 2 p.m.
Saturday's matchup is presented by Chargel and features the Lions (14-7, 3-4) and Big Red (10-10, 3-4). The game can be followed via live stats or watched live on ESPN+. Lance Medow (play-by-play) and Barry Rohrssen (analyst) will have the call. Click here to purchase tickets.
News/Notes
Opening Tip-Off
Columbia has the sixth-best rebounding margin in the country, ranks 16th nationally in rebounds per game and 19th in defensive rebounds per game. Through seven Ivy League games, Columbia leads the conference in offensive rebounds (88).
The Lions split last weekend's back-to-back at home, defeating Penn 72-67 on Friday before falling to Princeton on Saturday, 80-68.
Connor Igoe was named Ivy League Rookie of the Week on Monday after averaging 10 points and eight rebounds per game over the weekend. The Brooklyn, N.Y. native shot 7-14 from the field and totaled seven assists over the two games. Igoe posted his second career double-double last Friday with 15 points and 10 rebounds, and added five assists.
The Lions went undefeated at home in non-conference play for a second consecutive season and also entered the Ivy League gauntlet with double-digit wins in back-to-back years.
Kevin Hovde is the first Columbia head coach in his debut season to win 14 of his first 21 games since Lou Rossini started 20-0 in his first season in Morningside Heights in 1950–51.
Last Time Out
Columbia dropped the second night of a back-to-back, 80-68, to Princeton on Saturday night from Schiller Court at Levien Gymnasium.
Kenny Noland's 20-point game marked his ninth of the season. His three steals on the night moved him into a tie for seventh all-time in program history with 110, sharing the spot with Matt Shannon (1985-89). Mason Ritter finished with 11 points and five rebounds.
Columbia was plagued by second-half shooting struggles, only knocking down 13-of-36 from the field across the final 20 minutes. Princeton stayed hot all night, finishing the night on 28-of-49 field goal shooting and 8-of-15 three-point shooting.
Noticing Noland
Senior guard Kenny Noland is on an offensive tear through 21 games this season, averaging a team-best 16.7 points per game. Noland leads the Lions in assists, field goals made, three-point field goals made, free throws made, and minutes per game. Noland's 351 points this season rank third among Ivy League scorers and his 51 three-pointers are the fourth-most in the league.
On Jan. 24 at Dartmouth, Noland Noland posted 28 points and 11 rebounds (both career highs) for his first-career double-double in the 79-69 win. Noland went 11-11 from the free throw line (also a career-high) and tallied four steals, which tied his career-best. The Apex, N.C. native played all 40 minutes.
Noland's 28 points were the most scored by any Ivy League player amongst that week's games and were the most points scored by a Lion on the road since Nov. 13, 2022, at Sacred Heart (Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa, 28). His 28 points were also the most points scored by a Lion in a road Ivy League game since Feb. 15, 2020, at Harvard (Mike Smith, 38).
On Jan. 5 at Cornell, Noland notched his 1,000th career point, becoming the 31st Lion in program history to reach that mark and the first since Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa on Feb. 23, 2024. Noland's 110 steals rank seventh all-time in program history.
Noland has trumped his career-high in points three times already this year and has recorded nine 20-point performances. Noland went off for an at-the-time career-best 27 points in a win at Lehigh on Nov. 21, where he went 11-18 from the field. He then matched the 27-point mark on Dec. 28 at North Florida.
At 62-65 (95.4 percent) from the charity stripe, Noland leads the country in free throw percentage among qualified players.
Noland has earned three Ivy League Player of the Week honors and was added to the Lou Henson Award Early Season Watch List on Dec. 18, which recognizes the top mid-major players in Division I college basketball.
Thompson Accomplishments
Senior forward Blair Thomspon pulled down his 500th career rebound in the Jan. 24 win at Dartmouth, becoming the first Lion to achieve the feat since Mark Cisco in 2012-13.
Thompson joined Gary Raimondo '99CC as the only other Lion to have 500 rebounds and 100 steals in their Columbia careers. The New York, N.Y. native also played in his 100th career game last weekend.
Memorable Win in Ithaca
The Lions' 104-99 win on Jan. 5 was the highest-scoring game in Columbia-Cornell history (242 games).
Columbia scored 100 points on Cornell for just the second time in series history (103 on Jan. 18, 1957).
The last time Columbia scored over 100 points in an Ivy League game was Feb. 6, 1993, vs. Harvard (W, 101-70).
The last time Columbia scored over 100 points in a road Ivy League game was Feb. 19, 1972, at Harvard (L, 102-100).
Kenny Noland became the 31st Lion in program history to reach 1,000 career points when he hit a free throw with 34 seconds remaining in the game.
Offensive Fireworks
With Jan. 5's 104-point showing at Cornell, the Lions have now scored 100 or more points in three games in a season for the first time since 1976-77.
Columbia recorded 100 or more points in back-to-back games (Dec. 31 vs. PSU Abington and Jan. 5 at Cornell) for the first time since Jan. 1969 (wins over Georgetown and Niagara).
The Lions have had two players with 20 points or more in a game twice this season (Kenny Noland and Blair Thompson on Nov. 26 and Jan. 5), marking the first time that's happened since 2018-2019.
On Nov. 26, the Lions scored 106 points at Fairfield, marking their first 100-point game against a Division I opponent since Nov. 15, 2010 (108 vs. Maryland Eastern Shore) and their first on the road since Dec. 8, 2009, at Wagner. Columbia shot an impressive 62.5 percent from the field against the Stags—their first road game shooting over 60 percent since Feb. 27, 2016, at Penn.
Columbia averaged 93.8 points over a four-game span from Nov. 21 to Nov. 29. Columbia last averaged 90-plus points over a four-game span during the 1976-77 season.
In the Nov. 29 win over Sarah Lawrence, six Lions reached double-figures in scoring, marking the first time the program had that many players notch 10 or more points in a game since Dec. 4, 2017, vs. Quinnipiac. Columbia also had six score in double-digits in the Dec. 31 win over PSU Abington.
Seven of Columbia's wins have come by 15 or more points. The Lions are averaging 85.9 points per game in wins this season. Five Lions have scored in double-figures four times this season.
Breaking The Glass
In addition to having the sixth-best rebounding margin (10.9) in the country, the Lions lead Ivy League teams in combined rebounds per game (41.3), defensive rebounds per game (28.1), and offensive rebounds per game (13.1). Columbia has out-rebounded its opponent in all 14 wins this season.
The Lions have out-rebounded an opponent by more than 20 boards five times this season (plus-23 vs. UMass Lowell on Nov. 13, plus-25 at Lehigh on Nov. 21, plus-38 vs. Sarah Lawrence on Nov. 29, plus-20 vs. UAlbany on Dec. 6, and plus-42 vs. PSU Abington on Dec. 31). The plus-25 margin against the Mountain Hawks is Columbia's largest against a Division I opponent since Nov. 15, 2010, vs. Maryland Eastern Shore, when the Lions were 44-21 on the boards against the Hawks. Columbia notched 49 rebounds at Stony Brook on Dec. 9. Previously, the pair of 48-rebound performances against UMass Lowell and Lehigh were the most boards in a game for Columbia against a Division I foe since Dec. 12, 2022 (at Lafayette). The last time Columbia recorded multiple 40-rebound games in a season against Division I opponents came in 2017-18.
Columbia also had 23 offensive rebounds on Nov. 13, marking the first time the Lions secured over 20 offensive boards since Jan. 16, 2023, vs. Cornell.
How Many Miles Can He Go?
First-year guard Miles Franklin shined in his collegiate debut in the Nov. 7 season opener. The Vienna, Virginia native came off the bench and in 18 minutes of action tallied 13 points on 5-5 shooting from the floor. Franklin knocked down two three-pointers and recorded three rebounds, two blocks, and a steal.
Franklin followed up on Nov. 10 at No. 3 UConn with a 10-point showing (eight in the second half) on 5-8 shooting. His performance included a posterizing dunk over Silas Demary Jr. with 8:42 remaining in the game.
Franklin poured in a career-best 19 points on 6-12 shooting on Dec. 28 at North Florida and has scored double-figures in 10 of his 19 games. His five steals on Nov. 23 vs. Longwood are the most by a Lion since Avery Brown had five on Nov. 15, 2023, against SUNY Delhi.
Franklin has been named Ivy League Rookie of the Week four times this season (Nov. 10, Dec. 8, Dec. 29, and Jan. 12).
Series History - Cornell
Columbia is 132-110 all-time against the Big Red and goes for the season sweep over Cornell for the first time since 2016. The Lions' most recent win over Cornell at home was on Jan. 18, 2020.
Up Next
Columbia is on the road next weekend for a back-to-back at Penn on Friday at 7 p.m. and at Princeton on Saturday at 6 p.m.
Follow The Lions
For the latest on Columbia men's basketball, follow @CULionsMBB on X and Instagram, search Columbia men's basketball on Facebook, or follow on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
Saturday's matchup is presented by Chargel and features the Lions (14-7, 3-4) and Big Red (10-10, 3-4). The game can be followed via live stats or watched live on ESPN+. Lance Medow (play-by-play) and Barry Rohrssen (analyst) will have the call. Click here to purchase tickets.
News/Notes
Opening Tip-Off
Columbia has the sixth-best rebounding margin in the country, ranks 16th nationally in rebounds per game and 19th in defensive rebounds per game. Through seven Ivy League games, Columbia leads the conference in offensive rebounds (88).
The Lions split last weekend's back-to-back at home, defeating Penn 72-67 on Friday before falling to Princeton on Saturday, 80-68.
Connor Igoe was named Ivy League Rookie of the Week on Monday after averaging 10 points and eight rebounds per game over the weekend. The Brooklyn, N.Y. native shot 7-14 from the field and totaled seven assists over the two games. Igoe posted his second career double-double last Friday with 15 points and 10 rebounds, and added five assists.
The Lions went undefeated at home in non-conference play for a second consecutive season and also entered the Ivy League gauntlet with double-digit wins in back-to-back years.
Kevin Hovde is the first Columbia head coach in his debut season to win 14 of his first 21 games since Lou Rossini started 20-0 in his first season in Morningside Heights in 1950–51.
Last Time Out
Columbia dropped the second night of a back-to-back, 80-68, to Princeton on Saturday night from Schiller Court at Levien Gymnasium.
Kenny Noland's 20-point game marked his ninth of the season. His three steals on the night moved him into a tie for seventh all-time in program history with 110, sharing the spot with Matt Shannon (1985-89). Mason Ritter finished with 11 points and five rebounds.
Columbia was plagued by second-half shooting struggles, only knocking down 13-of-36 from the field across the final 20 minutes. Princeton stayed hot all night, finishing the night on 28-of-49 field goal shooting and 8-of-15 three-point shooting.
Noticing Noland
Senior guard Kenny Noland is on an offensive tear through 21 games this season, averaging a team-best 16.7 points per game. Noland leads the Lions in assists, field goals made, three-point field goals made, free throws made, and minutes per game. Noland's 351 points this season rank third among Ivy League scorers and his 51 three-pointers are the fourth-most in the league.
On Jan. 24 at Dartmouth, Noland Noland posted 28 points and 11 rebounds (both career highs) for his first-career double-double in the 79-69 win. Noland went 11-11 from the free throw line (also a career-high) and tallied four steals, which tied his career-best. The Apex, N.C. native played all 40 minutes.
Noland's 28 points were the most scored by any Ivy League player amongst that week's games and were the most points scored by a Lion on the road since Nov. 13, 2022, at Sacred Heart (Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa, 28). His 28 points were also the most points scored by a Lion in a road Ivy League game since Feb. 15, 2020, at Harvard (Mike Smith, 38).
On Jan. 5 at Cornell, Noland notched his 1,000th career point, becoming the 31st Lion in program history to reach that mark and the first since Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa on Feb. 23, 2024. Noland's 110 steals rank seventh all-time in program history.
Noland has trumped his career-high in points three times already this year and has recorded nine 20-point performances. Noland went off for an at-the-time career-best 27 points in a win at Lehigh on Nov. 21, where he went 11-18 from the field. He then matched the 27-point mark on Dec. 28 at North Florida.
At 62-65 (95.4 percent) from the charity stripe, Noland leads the country in free throw percentage among qualified players.
Noland has earned three Ivy League Player of the Week honors and was added to the Lou Henson Award Early Season Watch List on Dec. 18, which recognizes the top mid-major players in Division I college basketball.
Thompson Accomplishments
Senior forward Blair Thomspon pulled down his 500th career rebound in the Jan. 24 win at Dartmouth, becoming the first Lion to achieve the feat since Mark Cisco in 2012-13.
Thompson joined Gary Raimondo '99CC as the only other Lion to have 500 rebounds and 100 steals in their Columbia careers. The New York, N.Y. native also played in his 100th career game last weekend.
Memorable Win in Ithaca
The Lions' 104-99 win on Jan. 5 was the highest-scoring game in Columbia-Cornell history (242 games).
Columbia scored 100 points on Cornell for just the second time in series history (103 on Jan. 18, 1957).
The last time Columbia scored over 100 points in an Ivy League game was Feb. 6, 1993, vs. Harvard (W, 101-70).
The last time Columbia scored over 100 points in a road Ivy League game was Feb. 19, 1972, at Harvard (L, 102-100).
Kenny Noland became the 31st Lion in program history to reach 1,000 career points when he hit a free throw with 34 seconds remaining in the game.
Offensive Fireworks
With Jan. 5's 104-point showing at Cornell, the Lions have now scored 100 or more points in three games in a season for the first time since 1976-77.
Columbia recorded 100 or more points in back-to-back games (Dec. 31 vs. PSU Abington and Jan. 5 at Cornell) for the first time since Jan. 1969 (wins over Georgetown and Niagara).
The Lions have had two players with 20 points or more in a game twice this season (Kenny Noland and Blair Thompson on Nov. 26 and Jan. 5), marking the first time that's happened since 2018-2019.
On Nov. 26, the Lions scored 106 points at Fairfield, marking their first 100-point game against a Division I opponent since Nov. 15, 2010 (108 vs. Maryland Eastern Shore) and their first on the road since Dec. 8, 2009, at Wagner. Columbia shot an impressive 62.5 percent from the field against the Stags—their first road game shooting over 60 percent since Feb. 27, 2016, at Penn.
Columbia averaged 93.8 points over a four-game span from Nov. 21 to Nov. 29. Columbia last averaged 90-plus points over a four-game span during the 1976-77 season.
In the Nov. 29 win over Sarah Lawrence, six Lions reached double-figures in scoring, marking the first time the program had that many players notch 10 or more points in a game since Dec. 4, 2017, vs. Quinnipiac. Columbia also had six score in double-digits in the Dec. 31 win over PSU Abington.
Seven of Columbia's wins have come by 15 or more points. The Lions are averaging 85.9 points per game in wins this season. Five Lions have scored in double-figures four times this season.
Breaking The Glass
In addition to having the sixth-best rebounding margin (10.9) in the country, the Lions lead Ivy League teams in combined rebounds per game (41.3), defensive rebounds per game (28.1), and offensive rebounds per game (13.1). Columbia has out-rebounded its opponent in all 14 wins this season.
The Lions have out-rebounded an opponent by more than 20 boards five times this season (plus-23 vs. UMass Lowell on Nov. 13, plus-25 at Lehigh on Nov. 21, plus-38 vs. Sarah Lawrence on Nov. 29, plus-20 vs. UAlbany on Dec. 6, and plus-42 vs. PSU Abington on Dec. 31). The plus-25 margin against the Mountain Hawks is Columbia's largest against a Division I opponent since Nov. 15, 2010, vs. Maryland Eastern Shore, when the Lions were 44-21 on the boards against the Hawks. Columbia notched 49 rebounds at Stony Brook on Dec. 9. Previously, the pair of 48-rebound performances against UMass Lowell and Lehigh were the most boards in a game for Columbia against a Division I foe since Dec. 12, 2022 (at Lafayette). The last time Columbia recorded multiple 40-rebound games in a season against Division I opponents came in 2017-18.
Columbia also had 23 offensive rebounds on Nov. 13, marking the first time the Lions secured over 20 offensive boards since Jan. 16, 2023, vs. Cornell.
How Many Miles Can He Go?
First-year guard Miles Franklin shined in his collegiate debut in the Nov. 7 season opener. The Vienna, Virginia native came off the bench and in 18 minutes of action tallied 13 points on 5-5 shooting from the floor. Franklin knocked down two three-pointers and recorded three rebounds, two blocks, and a steal.
Franklin followed up on Nov. 10 at No. 3 UConn with a 10-point showing (eight in the second half) on 5-8 shooting. His performance included a posterizing dunk over Silas Demary Jr. with 8:42 remaining in the game.
Franklin poured in a career-best 19 points on 6-12 shooting on Dec. 28 at North Florida and has scored double-figures in 10 of his 19 games. His five steals on Nov. 23 vs. Longwood are the most by a Lion since Avery Brown had five on Nov. 15, 2023, against SUNY Delhi.
Franklin has been named Ivy League Rookie of the Week four times this season (Nov. 10, Dec. 8, Dec. 29, and Jan. 12).
Series History - Cornell
Columbia is 132-110 all-time against the Big Red and goes for the season sweep over Cornell for the first time since 2016. The Lions' most recent win over Cornell at home was on Jan. 18, 2020.
Up Next
Columbia is on the road next weekend for a back-to-back at Penn on Friday at 7 p.m. and at Princeton on Saturday at 6 p.m.
Follow The Lions
For the latest on Columbia men's basketball, follow @CULionsMBB on X and Instagram, search Columbia men's basketball on Facebook, or follow on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
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/ Men's BasketballPostgame: MBK | Coach Hovde after Princeton
Saturday, January 31
Highlights: MBK | Columbia 68, Princeton 80
Saturday, January 31
Postgame: MBK | Thompson and Coach Hovde after win vs. Penn
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Friday, January 30
