Columbia Caps Memorable 2022 in Convincing Fashion

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Columbia threw its own New Year’s Eve party at the expense of Yale, bringing a memorable 2022 calendar year to an end with a convincing victory, 97-53, Saturday afternoon at Lee Amphitheater.
 
Columbia (12-2, 1-0 Ivy) extended its winning streak to nine, which stands alone as the longest in program history. They had it all but wrapped up by halftime, ending the second quarter on a 14-0 run that saw them go into the locker rooms leading by 22. Yale (6-8, 0-1 Ivy) would only pull it back within 18 before the Lions pushed ahead by 30 early in the fourth quarter. They led by nearly 50 before the final horn mercifully sounded.
 
More impressively, the nation’s top 3-point shot-making team (11.0 per game) only made four. The Lions scored an unheard-of 62 points in the paint and blitzed Yale on the fast break, 25-4.
 
“It shows that we can execute our game plan. We didn’t need to shoot the three today,” head coach Megan Griffith ’07CC said. “Teams are going to guard us [to shoot] because we have the propensity and capability to shoot. I also think our team is really skilled and super athletic. We can get to the rim and I was proud of us for getting the ball inside today to show that we can score in and out.”

💨💨💨 @jaida_patrick and the Lions are running away with it!

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— Columbia Women’s Basketball (@CULionsWBB) December 31, 2022

All five starters scored in double figures, led by a game-high 18 from Jaida Patrick. The second-year transfer from Duke flirted with a triple-double, adding a season-high nine rebounds and career-high seven assists. Kaitlyn Davis’ line included 16 points (8-10 FG), seven rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal. Kitty Henderson put up 15 points and eight boards, while Abbey Hsu (13) and Hannah Pratt (10) rounded out the double-figure scorers.
 
“Everybody filled up the stat sheet, from rebounds to assists to points,” Griffith added. “It was a really balanced team effort which I’m really proud of.
 
“Jaida was electric today. When she gets an assignment she really locks in defensively. She’s such a great defender on the ball and showed the league today why she can be a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year.”
 
The Lions, which now also own the best 14-game record in program history, shot 59.3 percent from the floor (35-59) and got to the foul line 33 times to Yale’s 16. Columbia improved to 10-0 this season when getting to the foul line more than its opponent.
 
Yale didn’t score for the final 6:52 of the first quarter as the Lions jumped ahead 18-5. Henderson was the early catalyst, outscoring Yale all by herself with eight points over those 10 minutes.
 
The Bulldogs punched back with a 10-0 second-quarter run that made it a 20-15 game. However, that proved to be the final counter the Lions had to deal with all afternoon. A 31-23 game turned completely in favor of Columbia courtesy of a 14-0 run that spanned the last 2:56 of the half. All five starters scored during that stretch and the Lions kept their foot on the gas all through the second half to earn their most lopsided win over Yale in series history.
 
Columbia now sets its sights on a rematch of the 2022 Ivy League Tournament Championship Game, visiting Princeton (8-4, 0-1 Ivy) Friday night in New Jersey. The game will air live nationally on ESPNU.
 
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