Talented, Young Lineup Makes Slight Progress in 2006-2007 Season

From first-year Danielle Browne to senior Megan Griffith, the Lions (8-20, 4-10 Ivy) were not lacking in talent during their 2006-2007 campaign. They did not finish the season with a winning record, but they found modest success at home in Levien Gymnasium, where they went 6-6 on the year.

After a six-point win over Loyola (MD), 75-69, to start their schedule, the Lions endured five consecutive defeats. During those losses, the Lions’ offense stalled, as they could not reach 60 points. They finally turned out a 61-point effort to beat Sacred Heart in overtime, ending their skid, but they could not gather enough momentum for a second consecutive victory.

During nonconference play, the Lions would win one game and then endure at least two losses before achieving another victory. The team initially followed a similar pattern once league play began; after three losses to conference opponents, the Lions beat nonconference foe Lafayette, but then lost three more Ivy games before an eight-point win over Yale. This victory seemed to change the Lions’ course, as the team went 4-4 to close out the season on a high note.

Although the Lions ended their campaign with defeats at Dartmouth and Harvard, they notched consecutive wins against Penn and Princeton and were able to hold off Yale a second time in a close 66-64 win. With the exception of a 59-40 blowout at Dartmouth, the Lions had opportunities to win during this stretch. Their two losses to Brown were each by three points, and Harvard, the league champion, only bested Columbia by seven points. The Lions’ disappointing record does not do justice to their talent and hard work throughout the season.

Griffith led the Lions’ offense in the 2006-2007 season with 129 made field goals, averaging 13.5 points per game. The guard finished her collegiate career with 1,061 points, making her the sixth-highest scorer in Columbia women’s basketball history. Only four players have eclipsed her 115 three-pointers in the history of the program. But Griffith was not a one-dimensional player—she made her mark in the record books with 373 assists and 151 steals, ranking fourth all-time in both categories. This past season, she paced the team with 55 steals, showing that her immense talent is not limited to one side of the court. For her efforts, Griffith earned second-team All-Ivy honors, an accolade she also received as a junior.

Junior guard Brittney Carfora forced opponents to keep their focus on more than one Columbia player by averaging 10.5 points per game. She led the Lions with 55 made three-pointers in 106 attempts, and she was the number-one shooter from behind the arc in the country. She also took advantage at the charity stripe, sinking 33 of 46 free throws.

On the defensive end, freshman forward and center Chelsea Frazier brought down a team-high 82 rebounds and led the Lions with 22 blocked shots. But her contributions were not limited to defense, as Frazier grabbed 57 offensive rebounds to lead the squad in this category as well. Her fellow freshman, guard Danielle Browne, was the only other Columbia player to reach triple figures in total rebounds, with 101. Browne made an instant impact during her first season with the Lions, as her 43 steals were second on the team only to Griffith. This talented freshman tandem gained attention not only from Columbia, but from the entire Ancient Eight, as they garnered Ivy League All-Rookie Team honors.

The 2006-2007 season should not be measured in wins and losses, but in potential. While individual accomplishments do not mean much in a losing season, the Lions closed their campaign with a solid stretch of .500 basketball and return with some key players who have the talent to do big things this year.