Basketball Edges Lafayette for First Win

It was a thriller from start to finish, and after 40 minutes of play, the Columbia women’s basketball team (1-3, 0-0 Ivy) walked out of Levien Gymnasium with its first victory of the season. Though the Lions did not hold a two-possession advantage over the final two minutes of the game, they were able to hold off Lafayette (1-3, 0-0 Patriot) in a 65-62 win.

Freshman center Lauren Dwyer, starting her second consecutive game due to sophomore forward Chelsea Frazier’s foot injury, made an impact from the beginning of the game. She put the first points on the board and continued to look confident on the court as she called for the ball, made moves in the post, and consistently hit field goals and free throws. She finished the game as the leading scorer for the Light Blue with 19 points.

The Lions and the Leopards traded leads throughout the half, with neither team able to hold a sizable advantage over the other. At halftime, the score was tied at 36.
Columbia’s offense was sharp throughout the game, with sophomore guard Danielle Browne scoring 16 and senior guard Brittney Carfora adding 10 points. In the first half, however, the Lions’ defense lacked the same energy.

While the Lions improved their defensive efforts in the second period, more effectively preventing Lafayette from getting points off offensive rebounds, Dwyer and Browne each committed four fouls. Fortunately, they were able to stay on the floor and lead the team to a win.

“I don’t necessarily have a coaching philosophy where I feel like you have to wait until the five-minute mark to put your player back in if they have four fouls,” Columbia head coach Paul Nixon said. “If I leave them on the bench, they might as well have five because they’re not helping us.”

With 1:34 left in the second half, Browne sank two clutch free throws to give the Light Blue a 61-58 lead. The Leopards continued to nip at the Lions’ heels, however, as Lafayette’s leading scorer, senior forward Vanessa Van De Venter, made two foul shots of her own to shrink Columbia’s advantage to only one point. After a Columbia timeout, the two teams traded buckets, and Browne was fouled with 9.4 seconds left. Though the Leopards called a timeout to try to ice her, Browne once again came up big at the charity stripe, giving the Lions their final two points. The Light Blue’s strong defense at the three-point line in the waning seconds of the game prevented Lafayette from getting a shot off, and relief filled the stands.

“It’s always better for the coach if you can come out and get a big lead in the first half and hold on to it and win handily,” Nixon said. “But sometimes, the games that are close, where the other team really competes and really forces you to dig deep down, tests your character, and gives you a gut check, sometimes those can be a lot more rewarding.”

Columbia showed that it is capable of protecting its home court, something that will be necessary this weekend. The Lions will host the Mercer Bears (3-3, 0-0 Atlantic Sun) on Saturday, and the Army Black Knights (2-1, 0-0 Patriot) on Sunday. Senior guard Sarah Russell, who sat out last season with an ACL injury, has already led Mercer in scoring in two games. Meanwhile, the Black Knights are averaging 60.5 points per game, so the Light Blue will need to continue its firm defensive stance.

Saturday’s contest will start at 1 p.m., while tip-off is set for 2 p.m. on Sunday.