columbia

Yale men’s basketball bests Brown, 79-58, in Ivy League opener

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Two teams with strong revenge motives met at John J. Lee Amphitheater Saturday.

Brown had defeated Yale on the last day of the regular season last year (84-81) to prevent Yale from sharing the regular season Ivy title with Princeton.

But then Yale overcame a six-point deficit with 27 seconds left to defeat Brown in the Ivy League championship game in March, 62-61.

It was Yale that prevailed Saturday in the rematch, 79-58.

“Really good team win for us. We got contributions from everyone,” Yale coach James Jones said.

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The stakes are high for Harvard and Princeton women’s basketball in Saturday’s marquee matchup

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We’re only one week into the Ivy League hoops season and already one of the most significant matchups of the campaign is upon us.   

On Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. ET, the high-flying Harvard Crimson will invade Jadwin Gymnasium to take on the six-time defending Ivy League champion Princeton Tigers. 

Here are three insights into the importance of the game and some of the key factors that may play a role in determining the outcome:

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Columbia women’s basketball claws past Penn, 74-59

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The Columbia women’s basketball team opened the defense of its Ivy League title by putting Penn deep in a hole early on, watching as Penn charged back to take the lead at halftime, and then reclaiming the game comfortably, 74-59, Saturday at the Palestra.
“It’s a great first game for us to learn a lot,” Columbia head coach Megan Griffith told reporters afterward.
“We talked about making a statement,” Griffith said. “Regardless of who [the opponent] is, especially when you’re playing against, one, a good team, and, two, a really good coach.”

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LISTEN: Sizing up Princeton men’s basketball stands as Ivy League play nears

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Ivy Hoops Online correspondent George “Toothless Tiger” Clark reflects on Princeton men’s basketball’s 10-4 start to the 2024-25 season with Ivy League play slated to start on Jan. 11 at Harvard:

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After loss at Rutgers, it may be now or never for Columbia men’s basketball

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Pictured is Jersey Mike’s Arena, the setting of Columbia’s 91-64 loss to Rutgers Monday. (Ray Curren/Ivy Hoops Online)

 

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – You won’t ever get a coach to say a season is now or never, but for Jim Engles and Columbia this season, it might be that time.


It’s Engles’ ninth year in charge of the program, and Columbia hasn’t had more than five Ivy League wins in any of the first seven seasons. On a macro level, that’s not an aberration. The Lions haven’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 1968 and before Kyle Smith’s two winning seasons, Columbia hadn’t had a winning record in Ivy play since legendary coach Jack Rohan (who was also in charge in 1968) did it in 1991-92.

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Columbia men’s basketball uses dominant second-half performance to down Fairfield, 85-72

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After finding itself down nine at the half to Fairfield, the Columbia men’s basketball team found its offensive groove over the final 20 minutes, outscoring its opponents by 22 points to come away with a convincing 85-72 victory at Levien Gymnasium Saturday afternoon.

The win puts Jim Engles’ Lions at 11-1 on the season, including a perfect 8-0 record at home. Meanwhile, the Stags, which were undefeated when leading at the midway point this season, ended the day at 5-8.

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Columbia women’s basketball outlasts San Francisco, 81-79

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In a game that saw 13 lead changes and eight ties, Columbia women’s basketball pulled away in the final 40 seconds to come away with a tough 81-79 victory over San Francisco Wednesday.

The win gets the Lions to 7-3 and back on track after a 77-61 defeat at Duke this past Sunday, while the loss puts the Dons at 2-5 on the season.

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How Columbia men’s basketball held on for 76-75 win over Lehigh

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Up 71-58 with 2:30 left in regulation, the Columbia men looked well on their way to a comfortable victory at Levien Gymnasium, but Lehigh rode a huge 17-4 run to knot the game at 75 with seconds on the clock.

A controversial foul on the Mountain Hawks sent Lions junior guard Avery Brown to the line with 0.8 left, and the junior guard sank one of two free throws to seal the deal.

The relieved Lions are 4-0 for the first time since 2005, while a frustrated Lehigh sits at 0-3.

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Ivy women’s basketball Media Day highlights

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As the 2024-25 season quickly approaches, the Ivy League hosted its annual women’s basketball Media Day on Thursday. The three-hour event, hosted by Lance Medow, can be viewed on the conference’s YouTube channel.

Prior to the event, the league announced the results of its preseason poll.

Princeton, which has claimed the Ancient Eight title for the last six years, was picked first with 122 out of a possible 128 points and 10 first-place votes.  Columbia, which has tied for the top spot in each of the last two seasons, came in second with 110 points and five first-place votes.

Harvard, which has finished the last two years in third placed, was tabbed for third in 2025, earning 101 points and one first-place spot. 

Penn, the final participant in last year’s Ivy tournament, was picked fourth with 75 votes, while Brown, which finished last year tied with Penn for fourth, was four points back in fifth place.

Sixth place went to Yale, which was as high as third place in 2022, with 48 votes. 

While Cornell and Dartmouth ended last season tied for seventh place, the Big Red got the nod for seventh in this year’s poll with 30 points and the Big Green were eighth with 19 points.  

Below are highlights from this year’s virtual Media Day:

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