Columbia women’s basketball comes up short against No. 22 Duke

Senior guard Abbey Hsu’s 25 points on 10-for-17 shooting weren’t quite enough for Columbia to top No. 22 Duke at Levien Gym Tuesday. (Photo by Erica Denhoff)

While the Columbia campus is divided over global events, most are united over the performance of the school’s athletic programs.

On Sunday, the women’s soccer team faced Rutgers in front of a raucous crowd during its NCAA Tournament first-round victory. Two days later, the Lions’ faithful (and Ivy League Executive Director Robin Harris) packed Levien Gymnasium as the women’s basketball team welcomed Kara Lawson and Duke, the first time a top-25 team ever visited Morningside Heights.

Megan Griffith’s Light Blue squad went toe-to-toe with the No. 22 Blue Devils the entire evening but came up short in a 66-62 defeat. 

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Penn women’s hoops suspends all juniors and seniors for four games

Another day, another piece of Ancient Eight breaking news. 

After Friday’s announcement of Harvard coach Kathy Delaney-Smith’s retirement at season’s end, Monday afternoon brought surprise news of Penn’s suspension of all of the team’s juniors and seniors for violation of university policy.  The specific policy was not disclosed, but the infraction will cost each of the nine upper-class students four games.  Since suspending the entire group would leave the Quakers with only eight true first-years and sophomores, none with any collegiate experience, the Red & Blue have elected to spread the penalties over the team’s first eight regular-season contests. 

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Celtics name former Harvard standout Allison Feaster director of player development

One of the greatest players in Ivy League basketball history is a member of the Boston Celtics organization.

And we’re not talking about Jerome Allen.

Allison Feaster, a 1998 Harvard graduate and the all-time leading scorer in Harvard women’s basketball history, has been hired by the Celtics as director of player development.

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Jerome Allen to stay with Boston Celtics

Jerome Allen will remain with the Boston Celtics organization as an assistant coach following his sentencing to four years probation Monday for accepting bribes from a Florida businessman to place his son on the Quakers’ recruited athletes list, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
Allen faces six months of house arrest, and the Celtics recently hired Joe Mazzulla and Kara Lawson as assistant coaches.
But Allen’s house arrest will allow him to travel to work, and the Mazzulla and Lawson hirings were not related to Allen’s situation.
The Celtics did not provide a statement on Allen after a request was made by Ivy Hoops Online.

Former Penn coach Jerome Allen sentenced to four years probation

Former Penn head coach Jerome Allen was sentenced to four years of probation in a Miami courtroom Monday afternoon for accepting bribes from a Florida businessman to place his son on the Quakers’ recruited athletes list.

“If there is any lesson here, you can’t pay your way in and you shouldn’t be able to pay your way out,” U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams said. “There is a debt owed — it’s more than just a reputational cost to you.

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