March 7, 2020 was a really long time ago – 667 days to be exact.
That was the last time an Ivy game took place, but the long wait ended Sunday at 1 p.m., when the Yale and Columbia women tipped off at Levien Gym.
The Lions notched the first league win for any Ivy in nearly two years by roaring back from a 12-point second-half deficit to defeat Yale, 65-55.
It was a battle of the Ivy League’s top offensive team, Columbia, against the conference’s top defensive squad, Yale.
Yale (7-6, 0-1 Ivy) led throughout the first half, grabbing a 16-12 lead at the end of the first stanza and claiming a 30-22 halftime advantage fueled by an 8-0 run. Yale junior forward Camilla Emsbo was kept out all of the second quarter with two fouls. Columbia (10-3, 1-0) uncharacteristically missed many point blank shots in the stanza.
Columbia won the third quarter, 16-11, and it was all Light Blue in the final period, during which they outscored the visitors 25-14. Columbia dictated a more fast-paced tempo throughout the second half, scoring 21 more points in the second half than the first.
Columbia profited from Yale’s losses, registering 24 points off 20 Yale turnovers.
Yale struggled from the free throw line, making only five of 11 free throw attempts. Columbia was a far more efficient 20-for-25 (80%) from the charity stripe.
Yale was led in scoring by sophomore guard Jenna Clark with 18, while Emsbo contributed 10 rebounds and five blocks. Junior guard Carly Rivera led the Lions with 14 points, eight boards and three assists in 33 minutes, complemented by 11 points each from juniors Kaitlin Davis and Sienna Durr.
Columbia had not played since Dec. 13, when it defeated Long Island at home.
The Lions improved to 10-3 on the season and Yale fell to 7-6 in the Ivy opener for both.