GAME INFORMATION
Game #15: Cornell at Columbia
Tip off: Saturday, Jan. 16, at 4:30 p.m.
Site: Levien Gymnasium (2,500) New York, N.Y.
2015-16 Records: Cornell (8-6, 0-0 Ivy); Columbia (11-4, 0-0 Ivy)
Series Record: Cornell leads, 44-24
Last Meeting: Cornell won, 46-42) (New York, N.Y.) on 1/24/15
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Game Notes (PDF)

THE MATCHUP: The Big Red opens conference play this weekend as it travels to New York City to take on Columbia in the Ivy League opener for both teams on Saturday, Jan. 16 at 4:30 p.m. Cornell wrapped up its non-conference slate with a winning record (8-6) for the fourth consecutive season, while the Lions enter the game with a five-game winning streak and a record of 11-4 overall.
 
THE SERIES VS. COLUMBIA: 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 44-24 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, the Big Red has taken the lead in the series at 16-15, as the team has won eight of the last nine outings … Head coach Dayna Smith is 15-11 all-time vs. the Lions after sweeping the teams last season.
 
LAST TIME VS. THE LIONS:  The Big Red erased a first half deficit to go into the intermission down by one, and then closed the game on a 14-5 run to steal a 46-42 victory on Jan. 24, 2015 at Levien Gymnasium. With the win, Cornell swept the Lions for the first time since 2013, and gave Cornell its fifth sweep in the series under head coach Dayna Smith. Cornell was led by Nicholle Aston, who registered her third career double-double, with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Megan LeDuc added 12 points, thanks to a 3-of-6 performance from 3-point range, while Kerri Moran chipped in 10 points, two blocks, and one steal. Columbia was led by Tori Oliver (13) and Alexa Giuliano (12). Guiliano also had a team-high seven rebounds, while Olvier had a team-best three assists. Both teams struggled to score, with the Big Red shooting just 32.6 percent from the floor (15-46), while Columbia hit just 30 percent overall (15-50). Cornell had the better performance from beyond the arc, knocking down 42.9 percent (3-7), while the Lions hit 33.3 percent (5-15). Both teams finished with 35 rebounds but the home team finished with two more turnovers than Cornell (20-18). The Big Red trailed for the majority of the game but managed to keep the contest close and after a layup by Sara Mead put the Lions up, 37-32 with 9:09 to play the visitors embarked on an 11-0 run to take its first lead since the opening moments of the game. The second half comeback was the second of the day for the Big Red, who were held without a field goal for over 11 minutes late in the first half, but Cornell still managed to trail by just one-point at the half, thanks to an 8-2 run in the waning moments of the first stanza.
 
A CORNELL WIN OVER COLUMBIA WOULD:
• improve Cornell to 18-16 in Ivy League openers, while giving head coach Dayna Smith a 7-7 record in the first game of Ancient Eight play.
• be the fourth straight by the Big Red over the Lions and improve Cornell to 45-24 in the all-time series.
• be the Big Red's ninth win in the last 10 meetings with Columbia.
• improve the Big Red to 9-6 on the season and 1-0 in Ivy League play.

IVY OPENERS: Since Ivy League round robin play began in the 1982-83 season, Cornell has posted a 17-16 record in conference openers, thanks to its 59-39 victory over Columbia last season. Head Coach Dayna Smith's record is 6-7 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.
 
WINNING NON-CONFERENCE SLATE: With an 8-6 non-conference record, the Big Red has posted a winning non-conference slate for the fourth straight season. The four consecutive winning non-conference seasons is the most in program history.
 
WELL ROUNDED: Nia Marshall is just 51 rebounds shy of joining Clare Fitzpatrick '13 as just the second player in Cornell women's basketball history to record 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 100 assists, 100 steals and 50 blocked shots in a career. Marshall, who is currently averaging 6.3 rebounds per game, is on pace to reach the mark during the Princeton/Penn weekend (Feb. 12-13).

LOW PERCENTAGE SHOTS: So far this season, Cornell has held 8-of-13 opponents (62 percent) to below 40 percent shooting from the floor. Since the beginning of the 2012-13 season, the Big Red has held 52 of its 96 opponents (54 percent) to below 40 percent.
 
HANDLE WITH CARE: The Big Red is second in the Ivy League and 14th in the nation in fewest turnovers (188) …Cornell ranks first in the conference and is 23rd in the country with a 1.21 assist/turnover ratio …  The Big Red is also second in the conference and 32nd in the nation in turnovers per game (13.4).
 
I'LL TAKE THAT: The Big Red is averaging 7.6 steals per game.
 
MAY I ASSIST YOU: The Big Red is first in the conference and 23rd in the country in assist/turnover ratio (1.21) … Cornell also ranks second in the Ivy League and 43rd in the nation in assist per game (16.2) … Kerri Moran leads the Ivy League and ranks 19th nationally with a 2.50 assist/turnover ratio, while Maddie Campbell ranks second in the conference and 30th in the country with a 2.33 assist/turnover ratio ...  Moran also leads the conference and ranks 51st in the country with 5.0 assists per game.
 
SCORES A LOT: Nia Marshall leads the Ivy League and ranks 84th in the nation in points per game (17.1). She is also second in the conference and 97th in the country in field goal percentage (.490).
 
CORNELL TOP 10: Junior Kerri Moran has moved into the top 10 in career assists (9th), while Nia Marshall has moved into the top 10 in career free throws mad e (10th), and career blocked shots (7th).
 
1,000-POINT CLUB: With a 31-point performance vs. Binghamton on Dec. 30, 2015, Nia Marshall became the 14th 1,000-point scorer in Cornell women's basketball history.
 
RACE TO 1,000: Nia Marshall reached the 1,000-point plateau in her 68th career game, faster than any Cornell player other than Karen Walker '91, the leading scorer in Big Red history, who scored her 1,000th point in her 65th career game.
 
SURE SHOT: Nia Marshall knocked down 15-of-16 attempts vs. Binghamton on Dec. 30, 2015, tying the school record for field goals made in a single game, and also finishing tied for 10th all-time in NCAA history for the highest single game shooting percentage (.938).
 
30-POINT PERFORMANCES:
• With a 31-point performance vs. Binghamton on Dec. 30, 2015, Nia Marshall became the first player in Cornell women's basketball history to register at least 30 points four times in a career.
• A year ago, Marshall became the first player in Cornell women's basketball history to score at least 30 points three times in the same season, doing so with 33 points vs. Howard on Jan. 7; 36 points vs. Vermont on Dec. 30; 31 points vs. Robert Morris on Dec. 20.
• Her career-high 36 points came in Cornell's double overtime victory against Vermont on Dec. 30.
• Marshall's first career 30-point game, coming vs. Robert Morris on Dec. 20, made her the first Big Red player to reach the 30-point plateau since Do Stevens in 2001.
• Marshall is the only player in Coach Smith's tenure to score 30+ points in a game.
• Only three women's basketball players in Cornell history have had at least three 30 point games in their career, with Marshall joining Keri Farley and Karen Walker.
• Only once before has Cornell had two 30-point games in the same season, previously done by Karin Dwyer (Jan. 21, 1984 vs. Yale; Feb. 24, 1984).
 
ON THE SMALL SIDE: Cornell's roster of 12 players is the smallest in the Ivy League.
 
SMALL SENIOR DAY: Cornell's 2015-16 roster features just one senior – Maddie Campbell. Every other team in the Ivy League has at least two seniors, while Princeton tops the conference with five. 
 
UP NEXT: The Big Red opens up a five-game home stand when it welcomes Columbia to Newman Arena on Saturday, Jan. 23 at 1:00 p.m. The game is part of a double-header with the men's basketball team, which will take on the Lions in the nightcap at 4 p.m.