A .500 conference record is not always notable, but this year, it was a
major accomplishment for the Columbia women's basketball team, whose 7-7
record was the best Ancient Eight performance in the program's history.
After a 16-point win over New Jersey Institute of Technology, Columbia fell
73-57 at Cornell to open Ivy play. The Lions convincingly won their rematch
with the Big Red 76-59 behind their greatest offensive output of the season
thus far. Nevertheless, Columbia's play remained inconsistent.

In its next conference games, Columbia fell to Yale and struggled to beat
Brown, eventually doing so by four points in overtime. After scoring fewer
than 60 points in both of these matchups, the Lions scored 70 and 78 points
in victories at Penn and Princeton, respectively. At this point, the Light
Blue held a 4-2 Ivy record and was in the thick of the Ancient Eight title
race. Columbia followed up its solid performance at Princeton with a
dramatic three-point victory over Dartmouth on Feb. 15 but could not
overtake Harvard the next night.

Although Columbia ended up splitting its series with Cornell and Dartmouth,
its second matchup with the Crimson resulted in a heartbreaking 71-70 loss.
Cornell, Dartmouth, and Harvard shared the 2008 Ivy championship.
While an even league record may not measure up to a title, it is another
step in the right direction for Columbia.

Senior guard Michele Gage, who could not compete as a junior due to a torn
ACL, was the Lions' leading scorer this season with an overall average of
12.3 points per game. During Ivy play, Gage scored 15.6 points per contest,
the third-best average in the league. She inserted herself into the record
books by sinking 61 three-pointers this year, the most that any Columbia
player has made in a single season. Gage was twice named Ivy League Player
of the Week this year and finished her career having received the honor
three times. Her efforts this season led Gage to a spot on the all-Ivy
second team.

Sophomore guard Danielle Browne averaged 10 points per contest and led the
Lions with 57 steals and 116 assists on the year. Her average 2.04 steals
per game was the second-best mark in the league, while her average 4.14
assists per game gave her the third-best average among Ivy players. Like
Gage, Browne upped her scoring average when it counted—during conference
play. She contributed 11.4 points per game, the ninth-best average in the
league. Browne also received all-Ivy second team honors.

Freshman center Lauren Dwyer made an immediate impact on the Light Blue and
was named to the all-Ivy rookie team. She was Columbia's third-leading
scorer this season, averaging 9.2 points per game, and its third-best
rebounder with an average of 4.3 boards per contest. Dwyer led the team with
24 blocked shots.

While the Lions lose three players to graduation, they gain forward Judie
Lomax, a transfer from Oregon State who is eligible to play after sitting
out the 2007-8 season. In addition to Lomax and a new class of recruits,
forward Tracey Cole, who played for the Light Blue in its 2006-7 campaign,
returns to the team. Columbia still has a strong core of talented players
and should remain competitive next year.