Lions Hope History Repeats Against Yale, Brown

This weekend, the Columbia women's basketball team will look to repeat history as well as continue its winning streak.

"It was pointed out to me that the last time Columbia had an Ivy sweep was the freshman year of this senior class," head coach Paul Nixon said. "They swept Penn and Princeton in their last games their freshman year. It was pointed out to me, that same season the team also swept Yale and Brown at home. So we are hoping that history will repeat itself."

The Lions head into this weekend in good position to pull off the sweep, as two weeks ago they won at Yale and played Brown to a close game on the road. So far this season, the Lions have performed better at home than anywhere else, compiling a 5-5 record at Levien Gym. In contrast, Brown has not won on the road all season, and Yale is 0-5 on the road in the Ivy League.

First up for the Lions this weekend is Brown, and the Lions are looking to avenge their loss in Providence. After beating Yale two weeks ago, the Light Blue did not play very well on the offensive end, falling to the Bears.

"I think they felt like they [the team] let themselves down at Brown with their performance ... we really kind of shot ourselves in the foot in that game on numerous occasions," Nixon said. "I think our team is ready to show that they can play significantly better than they did the first time against Brown."

The Lions shot poorly in the first game against Brown, especially down the stretch, failing to convert any field goals in the final 3:53 of the game. The Light Blue faced a zone defense that it had not encountered earlier in the season, which caused at least some of the offensive problems. Last week, the Lions illustrated that they were able to break zones against Penn and Princeton, so this may not be a factor against Brown.

On Saturday, the Lions will play their final home game against Yale, hoping to beat the Bulldogs for the seventh time in the past eight meetings over the past four years. The first meeting between these two teams was an offensive affair, with the two teams combining for 136 points in a shootout.

One of the keys for Columbia will be to challenge Yale center Erica Davis and contain the perimeter players of the Bulldogs. Two weeks ago, Davis had a big game against the Light Blue, scoring 21 points. She is a major part of Yale's offense, but the Lions proved that they could win by containing Yale's perimeter players and shooting well on the offensive end.

The match-up this weekend will be different, as Yale senior forward and captain Chinenye Okafor will be in the lineup for the Bulldogs after missing the last game with a broken toe. She may not be totally healthy, but she is the emotional leader of her team and will give this game a whole new dynamic when she is in.

This weekend is a special one for the Lions as four seniors-Megan Griffith, Brooke Carey, Shasta Henderson, and Becky Hogue-will be playing their last games at Levien Gym. Last weekend, Griffith scored her thousandth point against Princeton, putting her seventh on the all-time list of Columbia scorers. Before Friday's game, there will be a ceremony where Griffith will be presented with a commemorative ball in addition to the senior night festivities. The game against Yale will not just be a tight game full of emotion, but it will be the last time to watch Griffith and the other seniors during their Columbia careers.

Tipoff for both games is 7 p.m.