Women's Basketball Loses to Big Green, Triumphs Over Crimson

This past weekend the women’s basketball team went on the road with the hopes of returning to New York with two more victories. However, as has been the result for several series this year the Lions were only able to win one of their two matchups.

The Light Blue fell to conference leader Dartmouth on Friday night, 55-43, but bounced back on Saturday with a 74-71 victory over Harvard.

Columbia struggled against Dartmouth and fell behind quickly, spotting the Big Green a six-point lead in the opening minutes of the game—a performance reminiscent of their game last weekend against Princeton. The Light Blue however, battled back to take the lead with just over 10 minutes remaining in the first half.

However, the Lions were unable to prevent Dartmouth from going on runs and the Big Green pulled ahead again as the first half dwindled down. Despite the Big Green’s lead, there was a clear difference in the way the Lions were playing against Dartmouth when compared with previous performance this year. One of the team’s strengths this year has been its team rebounding led by sophomore Judie Lomax, who recorded another double-double against Dartmouth with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

But during the first half something was missing and the Lions were out-rebounded, 20-14. The poor rebounding had an adverse affect on the Columbia defense, as Dartmouth was able to put missed shots in to score crucial points. The Light Blue, in comparison, did not have any second-chance points in the opening half of the game, letting the Big Green head into the locker room with a 20-14 lead.

The beginning of the second half started just as the first had, with the Lions coming out flat and the Big Green taking advantage, eventually going up by 17. Columbia then decided to change its defensive plan and used a pressure defense to throw off Dartmouth’s offense. Through various pressures and traps, the Light Blue was able to fight its way back into the game and cut the deficit to just six points with 10 minutes left.

However, Columbia was never able to finish the comeback and was once again out-rebounded by Dartmouth, 23-16, in the second half. While the Lions were able to obtain some second chance baskets in the later half of the game, their production could not compare to Dartmouth’s as the Big Green scored 18 points on second-chance opportunities.

Friday marked the first time this season that the Lions had been out-rebounded by a conference opponent. But it was the Light Blue pressure defense that effectively cut into the lead against Dartmouth, and proved to be even more successful against Harvard, earning Columbia the win on Saturday.

At the start of the game, Columbia came out aggressively on the defensive side of the ball and forced Harvard to make mistakes. In the first half of play, the Lions were able to turnover the Crimson 14 times, leading to 21 points. Additionally, the Lions’ rebounding, an aspect of their game that had struggled against Dartmouth, was back to its usual success and helped in second-chance points. In the first half alone, Columbia had 14 points from second-chance opportunities. Columbia went into the locker room leading Harvard by four points, 40-36.

The second half would prove to be a back-and-forth affair as the lead transitioned between Harvard and Columbia throughout the final 20 minutes of the contest. In addition to the Lions’ strong and productive defense, the team’s perimeter shooting saw great success, especially from senior co-captain Katrina Cragg. Cragg made five three-pointers that were essential to keeping Columbia in the game and eventually putting the Light Blue ahead of Harvard.

The keys to the Lions’ success later in the game were their ability to make critical plays when they needed them most and to remain aggressive underneath the boards. Lomax recorded her seventh consecutive double-double and junior co-captain Sara Yee also proved to be an important contributor to the game. Towards the end of the game Yee got her own rebound, leading to a foul that put Columbia on the line and allowed it to extend its lead to two. On the ensuing drive up the court by Harvard, the Crimson missed the shot and Lomax recorded her last rebound of the game and was fouled. Lomax’s trip to the line ensured Columbia’s victory.

The Lions will be back in action this weekend when they face off against Brown on Friday night at Levien Gymnasium.