Game #16: Cornell vs. Columbia
Tip Off: Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014; 2:30 p.m.
Location: Newman Arena (Ithaca, N.Y.)
Records: Cornell (8-7; 0-1 Ivy); Columbia (4-11; 1-0 Ivy)
Series Record: Cornell leads, 41-24
Last Meeting: Columbia won, 71-64; Jan. 18, 2014
Live Stats: www.sidearmstats.com/cornell/wbball/
Video Webcast: http://www.ivyleaguedigitalnetwork.com/cornell/schedule

GAME NOTES (PDF)

THE MATCHUP: The Big Red women's basketball team (8-7, 0-1 Ivy) will look to avenge a heartbreaking loss to Columbia a week ago when it welcomes the Lions (4-11, 1-0) to Newman Arena on Saturday, Jan. 25 at 2:30 p.m. The game will be part of a double-header, as the Cornell men's team will face Columbia at noon.




THE SERIES VS. THE LIONS: Cornell's rivalry with Columbia began in the 1975-76 season when the team represented Barnard College (the Columbia-Barnard Athletic Consortium was organized in 1984-85, at which time the team began playing under the name Columbia). Cornell holds a 41-24 record in the all-time series, thanks largely to the fact that it dominated the series throughout the `90s. The teams met 20 times from 1990-91 to 1999-2000, with Cornell winning 17 of those meetings, including 12 straight from 1993 to 2000. Since the 2000-01 season, Columbia holds the slight edge in the series at 15-13, but the Big Red has won the last five of the last six outings … Head coach Dayna Smith is 12-11 all-time vs. the Lions.

SCOUTING COLUMBIA: The Lions earned its third win in its last five outings when it defeated Cornell last weekend in the Ivy League opener for both teams. Columbia (4-11, 1-0 Ivy) has two players averaging double-figures – Carolyn Binder (10.4) and Miwa Tachibana (10.2) – with both Taylor Ward (9.8) and Tori Oliver (9.7) falling just short of the mark. Ward hands out a team-high 3.5 assists per game and Courtney Bradford leads the Lions with 6.1 rebounds per game. Binder (26-68; .382) and Tachibana (24-72; .333) are the team's biggest 3-point threats.

LAST TIME VS. THE LIONS: After erasing a seven-point halftime deficit midway through the second half, the Big Red women's basketball team couldn't hold on, dropping a heartbreaking 71-64 decision to Columbia on Jan. 18 at Levien Gymnasium. Allyson DiMagno lead Cornell with 21 points, 15 of which came during the Big Red's second half comeback, while Nia Marshall finished with 17. Guards Kerri Moran, Aspen Chandler and Stephanie Long all finished with seven points. DiMagno, Moran and Joelle Davidson each grabbed a team-high four rebounds. Columbia (4-11, 1-0) was led by Carolyn Binder's 16 points, thanks to a 4-of-5 performance from beyond the arc. Miwa Tachibana (12), Tori Oliver (11) and Carolyn Gallagher (10) also finished in double-figures. Courtney Bradford registered nine points and a game-high 11 rebounds, helping the Lions to the slim 36-33 advantage on the boards. After a cold start to the game, the Big Red shot 55.6 percent from the floor in the second half to finish at 39.2 percent (20-51) for the game. The visitors struggled from beyond the arc, however, hitting just 22.2 percent (2-9). The Lions hit 44.7 percent for the game (21-47) but were on fire from 3-point range, knocking down 53.8 percent (7-of-13). Cornell forced 15 turnovers with six steals, while turning the ball over just 11 times.

A CORNELL WIN OVER COLUMBIA WOULD:
• improve the Big Red to 9-7 on the season and 1-1 in Ivy League play.
• make Cornell 42-24 all-time against Columbia.
• be the Big Red's sixth win in the last seven meetings with Columbia.
• improve the Big Red to 5-3 in home games in 2013-14.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: After setting the Cornell school record with four Ivy League Player of the Week selections a year ago, Allyson DiMagno has earned the award twice this season, moving to 12th all-time on the Ivy League's record list. She picked up the Ancient Eight's first weekly award of the 2013-14 season after helping Cornell defeat Colgate (76-62) on Nov. 8, and followed that up with a selection on Jan. 20 after the Big Red's Ivy opener vs. Columbia.

IVY OPENERS: Since Ivy League round robin play began in the 1982-83 season, Cornell has posted a 16-16 record in conference openers. Head Coach Dayna Smith's record is 5-7 in the first game of Ancient Eight play. Cornell has faced the Lions more than any other team, opening the season against Columbia 16 times.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK: Nia Marshall was named the Ivy League Rookie of the Week on Dec. 2 and Dec. 9, becoming the first Cornell women's basketball player to receive back-to-back Rookie of the Weeks awards since Jeomi Maduka in 2005-06 and the first Cornell player to receive two Rookie of the Week awards in a single season since Lauren Benson in 2006-07 … Marshall was named Rookie of the Week again on Jan. 13, becoming the first Big Red player to earn three Rookie of the Week selections since Maduka.

WINNING NON-CONFERENCE SLATE: The Big Red finished the non-conference portion of its season with an 8-6 record for the second straight year, giving Cornell a winning non-conference record in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1999-2000/2000-01. It is just the third time in program history that the Big Red has had back-to-back winning non-conference records (1982-83/1983-84).

NCAA LEADER: Allyson DiMagno is among the NCAA's active career leaders in Division I for free throw percentage (13th – 83.1 percent).

OFFENSIVE OUTPUT: With Its 81-46 victory over Vermont on Jan. 4, the Big Red had its best offensive output in more than four years, as Cornell last scored more than 80 points in a game when it racked up 92 points vs. Middle Tennessee State on Nov. 21, 2009.

MARGIN OF VICTORY: Cornell's 35-point margin of victory against Vermont was its largest since in more than five years, having defeating Brown by 33 points on Feb. 1, 2008.

I'LL TAKE THAT:
• Cornell has posted 151 steals (10.1 per game) so far this season, which is up significantly from last year when the Big Red registered 8.1 steals per game.
• Cornell entered the week ranked first in the Ivy League and 45th in the nation.
• Cornell ranks first in the Ivy League and 53rd in the nation in turnover margin (+3.27).
• The Bi g Red's 18 steals vs. Seattle were the most since the 2001-02 season, and the most ever during head coach Dayna Smith's time at the helm of the program.
• In Cornell's next game vs. Binghamton, the team finished with 16 steals, good for second overall during Coach Smith's tenure.


FREE THROW FIENDS: As of Jan. 20, Allyson DiMagno (.841) and Aspen Chandler (.821) ranked first and second, respectively, in the Ivy League in free throw percentage. As a team, the Big Red makes free throws at a clip of 70.6 percent, ranking third in the Ivy League.

13TH TO 1,000: On Nov. 26 vs. Loyola (MD), senior Allyson DiMagno became the 13th player in Cornell history, and fourth under head coach Dayna Smith, to join the 1,000-point club … She currently ranks 10th overall in Cornell history for career points (1,151) and needs just 39 more to move into ninth place overall, surpassing Mary LaMacchia (1992-96).

TOP TEN REBOUNDS: Allyson DiMagno currently ranks second overall in Cornell history for career rebounds (811) and needs 111 more to surpass Patti Froehlich (1985-89) and become the Big Red's all-time leader … She already holds the school record for career defensive rebounds (514) and career offensive rebounds (297).

1,000/800: With her 11 rebounds vs. Howard, senior Allyson DiMagno became just the second player in Cornell history, and first ever under head coach Dayna Smith, to register at least 1,000 points and 800 rebounds for her career. The only other Cornell player to achieve that feat was Patti Froehlich, who ended her career with 1,194 points and 931 rebounds in 1989 – three years before DiMagno was born.

FRESHMAN [FOUR]CE: With two starters and two others contributing significant minutes, four members of the freshman class – Kerri Moran, Nia Marshall, Nicholle Aston and Megan LeDuc – are already putting their stamp on the 2013-14 season. All four average more than 10 minutes per game and as a group, they are shooting 38 percent (127-of-333) from the floor. The quartet is also contributing an average of 23.9 points, 11.6 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 3.5 steals and 1.6 blocks per game.

100 WINS AND COUNTING: Head Coach Dayna Smith is already the winningest coach in Cornell history, and she reached the 100-win mark for her career with the team's victory over Manhattan on Nov. 20, 2012. She has since added to that and has 118 career coaching wins.

IVY LEADERS: Several Big Red players are ranked among the top 10 in various categories in the Ivy League, including:
*Allyson DiMagno – sixth in scoring (14.1 points per game)
*Nia Marshall – 10th in scoring (12.3 points per game)
*Allyson DiMagno – second in rebounding (7.7 rebounds per game)
*Nia Marshall – ninth in rebounding (6.0 rebounds per game)
*Allyson DiMagno – fifth in field goal percentage (.510)
*Nia Marshall – eighth in field goal percentage (.453)
*Stephanie Long – seventh in assist per game (2.9)
*Kerri Moran – 10th in assist per game (2.6)
*Allyson DiMagno – first in free throw percentage (.841)
*Aspen Chandler – second in free throw percentage (.821)
*Allyson DiMagno – third in steals (2.1 steals per game)
*Nia Marshall – fourth in steals (1.9 steals per game)
*Shelby Lyman – 10th in steals (1.5 steals per game)
*Shelby Lyman – ninth in 3-point field goals made (1.3 per game)
*Nia Marshall – third in blocked shots (1.3 blocks per game)
*Allyson DiMagno – second in offensive rebounds (2.7 per game)
*Nia Marshall – ninth in offensive rebounds (2.1 per game)
*Allyson DiMagno – fifth in defensive rebounds (5.1 per game)
*Nia Marshall – 10th in defensive rebounds (3.9 per game)
*Allyson DiMagno – third in minutes played (34.3 per game)

MAY I ASSIST YOU?: So far this season, the Big Red has assisted on 221-of-316 baskets (70 percent). That is well above last season, as Cornell assisted on 66 percent of its baskets (378-of-573).

STARTING STREAK: Senior Allyson DiMagno has a 94-game starting streak, which is by far the longest active streak on the team, with four others – Stephanie Long, Shelby Lyman, Kerri Moran and Nia Marshall – tied for second at 15 games apiece. Both Long and Lyman had a starting streak ended in the final game last season.

CLOSE CALLS: Since the beginning of the 2010-11 season, the Big Red has had 37-of-95 games (39 percent) decided by eight points or fewer. In those games, Cornell has posted a 20-17 record (.541).

LOW PERCENTAGE SHOTS: Since the beginning of the 2012-13 season, Cornell held 24 of its 43 opponents (56 percent) to below 40 percent shooting from the floor.

HOME SWEET HOME: The Seattle University Delta Dental Thanksgiving Tournament served as a homecoming for senior guard Shelby Lyman, who hails from Snohomish, which sits approximately 45 miles from the Redhawk's campus.

DIMAGNO'S GOT CLASS: Allyson DiMagno has been selected as one of 30 candidates for the 2013-14 Senior CLASS Award in women's collegiate basketball. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award honors the attributes of NCAA Division I senior student-athletes in four areas: community, classroom, character and competition. A captain for the 2013-14 season, DiMagno is an accomplished and well-rounded student with a 3.77 grade-point average in biological sciences (biochemistry emphasis) with a minor in business. She was an Academic All-Ivy selection in 2012-13, and she was also the first-ever Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-District first-team selection in the history of the Cornell women's basketball program. On the court, DiMagno was an All-Ivy selection a year ago after setting the school record for rebounds in a single season (321). In the community she has volunteered at special events, including the Special Olympics, the Make-A-Wish-Make-A-Swish event, and a Be The Match bone marrow drive. She is also involved in numerous volunteer projects each semester as a member of SAAC, and Quill and Dagger. The list of 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2014 NCAA Women's Final Four.

100 THREES: The Big Red has connected on at least 100 3-pointers in each of the last six seasons. Cornell has registered at least 100 3-pointers in all but one season under head coach Dayna Smith, with the 2006-07 squad coming up just short with 98 treys.

WINNING NOVEMBER: Cornell finished November with a 4-3 record overall for the second straight season, giving the Big Red a winning record in consecutive Novembers for the first time since 1999-2000 (4-1) and 2000-01 (3-2).

EVERYBODY'S (ACADEMIC) ALL-AMERICAN: Allyson DiMagno was named a 2012-13 Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-District first-team selection during her junior season. A biological sciences major with a 3.7 grade-point average, she is just the second Academic All-District selection in the history of the Big Red women's basketball program, joining Virginia McMunigal '10, who was a second-team selection during her senior season.

FIRST NIGHT: Four members of the freshmen class saw action in the team's season-opening victory over Colgate. Kerri Moran and Nia Marshall earned the start, while both Megan LeDuc and Nicholle Aston saw significant action off the bench. The quartet played a total of 75 minutes and contributed 26 points, 11 rebounds, seven steals, five blocks, and three assists. They also hit 53 percent of their shots from the field, 67 percent from beyond the arc and 75 percent from the free throw line ... The final member of the freshman class, Taylor DePalma, saw her first collegiate action a week later at Syracuse.

FOR OPENERS: The Big Red is 19-24 all-time in season openers. After defeating Colgate in each of the past two season openers, Coach Dayna Smith's record has improved to 3-9 in the first game of the season. Cornell has now registered back-to-back season opening victories for the first time since winning three straight from 1998-99 to 2000-01.

OPENING AT 2-0: With the 79-72 win over Buffalo, the Big Red started the season at 2-0 for the first time since the 1995-96 campaign, and just the fifth time in program history.

ALL IN THE FAMILY: Senior Aspen Chandler comes from a long line of athletes. Her father, Brian Hopgood, had a successful professional basketball career playing in the various domestic and overseas leagues. Collegiately, he played at University of Louisville and Oklahoma City University. While at OCU, he led his team to the NAIA national championship and was a two-time All-American. Her cousin Shelton Johnson played football for the University of Wisconsin and her grandfather Wayne Long ran track and field in college.

BASKETBALL PEDIGREE: Stephanie Long isn't the only member of her family to play collegiate basketball. Her father Dennis played basketball for three seasons at UConn.

HI, MY NAME IS: Cornell has a new face on the bench for the 2013-14 season – volunteer assistant Jim Sheehan – who spent the past two seasons serving as a volunteer assistant to Cornell's video coordinator. Sheehan is a 2010 graduate of Cortland with a bachelor of science degree in sports management.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK: The Big Red has added five players to this year's squad, as Nicholle Aston (Woodland Hills, Calif.), Taylor DePalma (Ithaca, N.Y.), Megan LeDuc(Vienna, Va.), Nia Marshall (Macedonia, Ohio) and Kerri Moran (Fair Hills, N.J.) have joined the team for the 2013-14 season. The class of five comes from five different states and consists of three guards and two forwards.

RECORD BREAKER: Last year, Allyson DiMagno set the Cornell single-season record for rebounds (321), defensive rebounds (196) and offensive rebounds (125) in a single season. She also set the school record for Ivy League Player of the Week selections in a season with four and set the Cornell mark for minutes played in a single game when she stayed on the court the full 50 minutes of the Big Red's double-overtime victory over Columbia

2012-13 SEASON RECAP: The 2012-13 season was one of steady improvement and individual accomplishments as a four-member senior class and a talented junior made their way up the Big Red record books. Led by Allyson DiMagno, who earned second-team All-Ivy honors following the season, the team posted a 13-15 record overall and a mark of 5-9 in the Ivy League to finish fifth overall in the conference standings. DiMagno, who moved from guard to forward prior to the season, went on to set the Cornell record for rebounds in a season. The team's seniors also left their mark on the program, beginning with Clare Fitzpatrick '13, who left Cornell ranking seventh in Big Red history in points (1,201), sixth in rebounds (609), fourth in free throws made (328), and fifth in blocked shots (68). She also became the first-ever player under Smith to reach 1,200 career points and 600 career rebounds. Spencer Lane '13, who led the Ivy League during her senior season in assists per game and assist/turnover ratio, finished her career ranking eighth all-time in Cornell history in assists (284) and 14th overall in career steals (113). Taylor Flynn '13, ended her career ranking eighth all-time in 3-pointers made (110), while forward Kristina Danielak '13 left Cornell ranking fourth all-time in career field goal percentage (.497) and 10th all-time in Cornell history with 55 career blocks.

TICKLE THE ALL-IVY: Last season, Allyson DiMagno was named second-team All-Ivy after leading the Big Red in both points and rebounds, averaging a double-double for the season with 14.7 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. She finished the season with 16 double-doubles, the most by any member of the Ancient Eight since former Ivy League Player of the Year Judie Lomax of Columbia posted 21 during the 2009-10 season. DiMagno also ranked third overall in the Ivy League with 14.7 points per game, but was even better against conference foes, ranking second overall with 15.5 point per game in Ivy League contests.

WHAT WAS LOST: The Big Red graduated four players from the 2012-13 squad – Kristina Danielak, Clare Fitzpatrick, Taylor Flynn and Spencer Lane – and lost three other non-letter winners. The seven players accounted for an average of 28.2 points and 11.5 rebounds per game.

WHAT REMAINS: Cornell returns three starters and five letter winners from last season's squad. The Big Red returns 51% of its scoring (811-of-1,601 points) and 67% of its rebounding (645-of-968) from a year ago.

PRESEASON HONORS: Allyson DiMagno was named a College Sports Madness Preseason All-Ivy second-team selection.

UP NEXT: The Big Red will remain at home next weekend when it welcomes Brown and Yale to Newman Arena on Friday Jan. 31 and Saturday, Feb. 1, respectively. The game with the Bears will tip-off at 7 p.m., while the game with Bulldogs will begin at 6 p.m.