Fri., Nov. 8
Harvard (2-0) 56 vs California (0-1) 53
Cornell (1-0) 71 at Albany (1-1) 51
Cornell opened the 2019-20 season with a dominant road win against Albany, which beat Columbia by four points in overtime on Tuesday. As opposed to the run-and-gun game against the Lions, the Great Danes would be forced into a halfcourt contest by the defense-oriented Big Red.
Albany was held to only 21% (4-for-19) and 39% from two, while being forced into 22 turnovers by the Cornell defense. On the offensive side, the Red shot 55% overall, including 62% (29-for-47) from inside the arc, and assisted on 71% of their baskets. Senior co-captain Samantha Widmann led all players with 22 points (10-for-12 shooting), 11 rebounds and five assists.
Sat., Nov. 9
Penn (1-0) 92 vs Siena (0-2) 44
The Quakers opened up defense of their Ivy League title by raising their sixth all-time regular season championship banner and walloping Siena by a 48-point margin. This game was over minutes after tip-off as Penn finished the first first quarter up 30-7. By halftime the lead was extended to 40, 57-17, against a Siena team that was ranked 10th out of 11 teams in the MAAC preseason media poll.
Penn’s defense held the Saints to 27% from two and 23% from three while outrebounding Siena by 18. Eleah Parker led all scorers with 22 points (10-for-15 from field). First-year Kayla Padilla added 14 points, while reserves sophomore Mia Lakstigala scored 18 and Michae Jones added 10.
Sun., Nov. 10
Princeton (2-0) 75 at George Washington (1-1) 50
Princeton head coach Carla Berube took her Tigers down to D.C. to face her friend and former UConn teammate Jennifer Rizzotti. For the second straight game, Princeton started slowly and then turned up the pressure for a double-digit victory.
The Tigers were down 14-4 early before battling back to take a 29-27 lead into the locker room. The Orange & Black came out strong in the third quarter, shooting 64% on their way to a 24-9 advantage that would effectively put the game away.
As a team, the new defense-first Tigers held the Colonials to 36% shooting from two and 29% (4-for-14) from beyond the arc. Princeton also dominated the boards, capturing 47 rebounds (18 offensive) and holding a +17 and plus-18% advantage. Carlie Littlefield was two rebounds short of a triple double with 22 points, 10 steals (team record) and eight rebounds. Bella Alarie had 14 points and 12 rebounds for her 35th career double-double, matching Niveen Rasheed for first all-time in Princeton history. Neenah Young had another double digit performance off the bench with 15 points on 6-for-12 (3-for-6 from three) shooting. Yale graduate Alexandra Maund had six points for GW in the loss.
Cornell (1-1) 49 at TCU (2-0) 59
The Big Red turned up the defensive effort in the second half, but it was not enough to dig out of a 15-point hole against TCU on Sunday afternoon. The Horned Frogs, who made the 2019 WNIT Final Four, only shot 32% from two in the first 20 minutes, but its nine threes on 64 percent shooting allowed the team to open up a 40-25 halftime lead.
In the third quarter, the Red held TCU to two baskets on 12% shooting to cut the deficit to 45-39. A Dylan Higgins three brought the lead down to three, 49-46, with 5:37 left in regulation, but the Red would only get one more basket the rest of the day.
Cornell did manage to outrebound the Horned Frogs 44-35 (plus-6%), but were forced into 24 turnovers that led to 20 TCU points.
Laura Bagwell-Katalinich led the way with game highs of 17 points (7-for-11 shooting) and 17 rebounds. Rookie Shannon Mulroy had 11 points on 4-for-6 shooting, including a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. The rest of the team struggled from the field with only 24% shooting (8-for-33) and 22 percent (2-for-9) from three. Widmann, who scored 22 on Friday, was held scoreless on the day.
Columbia (1-2) 70 vs Fordham (0-2) 51
Columbia lost its first two games of the season, including Thursday’s home opener against St. Joseph’s, where the team was shut down in the second half. Fordham, the 2019 A-10 champions and No. 3 team in the conference preseason poll, arrived from a hard fought five-point loss to No. 16 Notre Dame. In the end, the Lions rode hot shooting and a stingy defense, to pull away in the second half.
The victory was Columbia’s first over the Rams since 1990 and only its second win in the history of the cross-borough rivalry.
The Light Blue, starting the second half with a 32-31 halftime lead, shot 62% from the field in the third quarter, while holding the Rams to 35% shooting to stretch the lead to 51-43. A Madison Hardy three twenty seconds into the fourth quarter upped the lead to 11 and Fordham would not get any closer the rest of the way.
First years Abbey Hsu and Kaitlyn Davis finished with 15 and 14 points, respectively, while sophomore Hannah Pratt, who missed all of her rookie season with an ACL injury, added eight points, eight rebounds and 2 blocks. The Lions shot 46% overall, with 53% from inside the arc and a perfect 12-for-12 from the charity stripe. Columbia hit only four of 28 (14%) from three in its first two games, but made six of 19 (32%) on Sunday.
The Lions held Fordham to 37% from the field, as well as a 37-27 advantage on the boards, the third straight game they outrebounded their opponents. Columbia also succeeded in keeping Fordham off the free throw line. After allowing 40 free throw attempts in its opening two contests, the Lions held the Rams to only six attempts.
Does anyone know why Abby Meyers has not yet played in Princeton women’s first two games?
Injured knee, according to her father. Will be ready in another week or 2.
Any word on Bella’s knee injury against GW this past weekend?