Columbia suffers major defeat at Princeton

In its first conference game of the season, Columbia women’s basketball struggled to compete with defending Ivy League champion Princeton. The Lions continued their offensive struggles while allowing the Tigers to make 10 three-pointers en route to a 94-35 Princeton win.

The Tigers had won 37 of their previous 38 Ivy League games going in, and they showed the quality of their play straight from the outset. Princeton went on an 11-0 run to open the game fueled by a three-pointer and layup from senior guard Lauren Edwards. The Lions got back in the game as junior forward Courtney Bradford gave Columbia its first points on a layup with 17:02 left in the first.

After a Princeton basket, senior guard Melissa Shafer made a three-pointer that cut the Tigers’ lead to eight. Unfortunately for the Lions, they never drew closer to Princeton, who subsequently went on a 45-8 run to end the first half leading 58-13.

While the Lions entered the second half knowing that they would in all likelihood not be able to come back from a 45-point deficit, they managed to put in a much improved performance. Princeton continued their strong start with a 7-0 run to start the second half. Columbia finally ignited its offense as they went on a 6-0 run keyed by baskets from freshman forward Amara Mbionwu and Shafer that cut Princeton’s lead to 67-19. The Tigers prevented the Lions from building on their run as their three-point shooting allowed them to outscore Columbia 27-16 in the latter part of the second half. Lions head coach Paul Nixon attributed his team’s loss to their turning the ball over 30 times as well as struggling to get rebounds.

“I think the problem with the Princeton game was the turnovers,” Nixon said. “I’m pretty sure 30 is our season high in turnovers, and when you allow your opponent to attempt 35 more shots than you, you allow them to get a number of offensive rebounds, and then compound that with turning it over 30 times. It just prevents you from getting going.”

The Lions would be encouraged by their increased second-half offensive production, as they shot 38.5 percent from the field, compared to 23.1 percent in the first half. Shafer led the team with 10 points—the only Lion in double figures—while Mbionwu added six points and three rebounds. Junior guard/forward Tyler Simpson contributed six points as well, while Bradford had eight rebounds.

Even though Columbia was outscored 34-22 in the second half, its increased offensive production was encouraging to Nixon, who said his team improved in the second half for a variety of reasons.

“We made some strategic adjustments at halftime that I think allowed us to play a little more comfortably in the second half,” Nixon said. “I think our players definitely were able to settle in, and even though we’ve played 14 games this season, it was our first Ivy League contest, and I don’t think some of our players were really prepared for the level of intensity and physicality, and I think they adjusted better in the second half.”

The Lions’ next game will be home against Cornell on Saturday, Jan. 21. Tipoff will be at 4:30 p.m.