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Ivy hoops roundup – July 1, 2023

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As we enter the July 4th holiday weekend, we at Ivy Hoops Online wanted to round up some postseason updates:

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Columbia women fall short at Kansas in WNIT title game

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The deepest run for an Ivy League team in WNIT history ended in defeat in the tournament final Saturday as Columbia fell at Kansas, 66-59, before an Allen Fieldhouse crowd of 11,701.

Horrid shooting and a disadvantage in the paint doomed the Lions in a defensive struggle they slowly but steadily lost control over in the second and third quarters, requiring a comeback effort that came up short.

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Tosan Evbuomwan declares for NBA Draft: The way forward for the point forward

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Tosan Evbuomwan was named to the NCAA South Region All-Tournament Team and was the Ivy League Tournament Most Outstanding Player. (Erica Denhoff)

Newcastle, United Kingdom / D.O.B: 02.16.2001 / 6-foot-8, 219 pounds

2022-23 stat line: 15.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 4.9 apg / 51.5% FG, 32.4% 3P, 65.5% FT,  1.68 A-TO ratio / 31.4 min in 32 GP

Bankable skills: versatile tweener, playmaking

Defensive matchup versatility: 2 to 4 spots

Swing factor: 3pt-ball + jump shot

They say March is Madness, and we couldn’t agree more watching Princeton going to the Sweet 16 in its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017. Great news for the Ivy League champions and for Tosan Evbuomwan, the senior from Newcastle, England, who just declared for the NBA Draft after powering the Tigers’ Sweet 16 and Ivy Madness runs.

Evbuomwan has deservedly gained the national attention amid that run, but his performances in the spotlight shouldn’t have been a surprise given that the wing/forward has been a genuine offensive motor for the last couple of seasons and earned almost every award available in the Ivy League in the process.

What’s to like about Evbuomwan? Everything, starting with his physical profile.

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Columbia advances to Ivy’s first ever WNIT Fab 4 by exacting revenge against Harvard

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Columbia women’s basketball didn’t miss its unexpected shot at revenge at Levien Gym Sunday.

A dynamite third quarter proved just explosive enough for Columbia to hang on in a 77-71 win over Harvard, advancing to the Ivy League’s first ever WNIT Fab 4. Columbia’s triumph ended the Crimson’s season 16 days after their Ivy League Tournament of Columbia questionably compelled the NCAA selection committee to exclude the Lions from the NCAA Tournament.

“That loss really hurt us, and we wanted to kill them this game,” sophomore guard Kitty Henderson told ESPN3 after the game. “So we came out and showed them who should have won every single game against them.”

Columbia will face the winner of Monday’s matchup between Bowling Green and Florida.

Driving the Lions’ third win in four games against Harvard was a 34-point third-quarter that allowed them to build a 63-43 lead 40 seconds into the final frame after a first half that proved more of a defensive struggle than expected between the Ivy League’s top two offenses.

But Harvard mounted a furious comeback, delivering a 28-point fourth quarter that featured 11 points from standout sophomore guard Harmoni Turner and 3-for-7 team three-point shooting (versus Columbia’s 0-for-6 showing from three).

Harvard got as close as a 68-66 deficit with 3:27 to play off a three by senior guard McKenzie Forbes before Columbia stood tall, as Henderson responded with a layup and the Lions clamped down defensively, allowing just two more baskets the rest of the way.

Columbia had led 27-23 at halftime despite missing shots inside.

“I think honestly coming out of halftime, we were just like, make layups, guys,” Columbia coach Megan Griffith told ESPn3 postgame.

Senior guard/forward Kaitlyn Davis stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, leading her team in all three categories. Henderson posted 15 points, five assists and nine rebounds, including five offensive boards.

Harvard was led by Turner, who registered 23 points, seven assists and four boards, and sophomore guard Elena Rodriguez, who kept Harvard in the game early and finished with a 7-for-8 field-goal shooting clip and 15 points along with seven turnovers.

“When you have a kid like No. 14 [Turner] who can just get to the basket in about four seconds, it makes it difficult,” Griffith said. “But I was proud of our players for making sure we could weather that storm, and here we are going into the final four here.”

Harvard women headed for WNIT third round for first time in program history

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Harvard sophomore guard Harmoni Turner nearly recorded a second straight triple-double in Harvard’s WNIT second-round win at Massachusetts Monday night. (Erica Denhoff)

For the first time in program history, Harvard women’s basketball is headed for the third round of the WNIT.

The Crimson advanced to the third round of the WNIT Monday night with an 89-87 win at Massachusetts, propelled by memorable performances from sophomore guard Harmoni Turner and junior guard Lola Mullaney.

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Columbia women return to WNIT Super 16 after pushing past Fordham

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 Columbia is back in the WNIT Super 16 after a 78-73 defeat of Fordham in a tight interborough contest Monday night.

The Lions closed a nail biter on a 12-2 run to secure the victory.

”We stepped up and made some big plays,” Columbia coach Megan Griffith said.

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No. 15 Princeton men dominate No. 7 Missouri in 78-63 triumph to advance to NCAA Tournament Sweet 16

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No. 15 Princeton men’s basketball made history with authority Saturday, emphatically dispatching No. 7 Missouri in a 78-63 win at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento to advance to the program’s first Sweet 16 appearance in the modern NCAA Tournament era. Our George “Toothless Tiger” Clark recaps the action of a lifetime:

Columbia women show how to take care of business against Fairleigh Dickinson

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Junior guard Abbey Hsu led all scorers with 25 points in Columbia’s WNIT opening-round win over Fairleigh Dickinson Friday. (Photo by Erica Denhoff)

Postseason wins are never to be taken for granted.

Columbia women’s basketball was expected to prevail in its WNIT opening-round matchup against Fairleigh Dickinson at Levien Gym Friday, and it did just that in a ho-hum 69-53 victory.

But as the Knights fell to the Lions Friday night, their No. 16-seeded men’s counterparts shocked the basketball world by toppling No. 1 Purdue in the Round of 64 in a 63-58 triumph.

It says a lot about the advancement of Columbia (24-5, 12-2 Ivy) under coach Megan Griffith that the Lions have transitioned from going without a postseason win for its first 36 years in Division I to being well-positioned to make a deep WNIT run for the second season in a row.

And the Lions made history of their own against Fairleigh Dickinson (24-8, 14-2 NEC) Friday night.

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Harvard women rout Towson in opening round of the WNIT

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Harvard sophomore guard Harmoni Turner delivered a triple-double in the Crimson’s first-round WNIT win over Towson at Lavietes Pavilion Thursday. (Erica Denhoff)

Harvard sophomore point guard Harmoni Turner posted a triple-double to lead the Crimson to a 103-63 victory over Towson in the first round of the WNIT Thursday night.

Turner’s 21 points on 8-for-17 field-goal shooting, 13 assists and 10 rebounds made her only the second Harvard player and sixth Ivy athlete ever to record the feat.

By the end of the joyous evening at Lavietes Pavilion, six different Crimson players scored in double figures, the team had a season-high 26 assists, and the program notched its first 100-plus-point game since February 2019.

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No. 15 Princeton claws past No. 2 Arizona in NCAA Tournament win for the ages

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A paltry 4-for-25 from three-point range.

Just three points from the foul line.

A major size disadvantage against the No. 10 KenPom team in the country 2,800 miles from home.

None of it stopped No. 15 Princeton from stunning No. 2 Arizona at the Golden1 Center in Sacramento, Calif. Thursday to advance to the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 in a winning effort for the ages.

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