Winning puts butts in the seats

Well, we came, we packed the house, and Cornell went back to Ithaca with a 2-0 Ivy League record. In all honesty though, the result of the game was not very surprising. A Columbia win would have been a cause for a good old-fashioned court storming, but no one in gym could have really expected it to happen.

While it was cool to be part of a sold out crowd in Levien that included an NBA scout from the Clippers and former Nets coach Lawrence Frank—both undoubtedly there to see Big Red stars Ryan Wittman and Jeff Foote—this column isn’t about that game. This column is about the women’s basketball game on Saturday, which was much more sparsely attended but equally one-sided.
Many people had high hopes for the Columbia women’s basketball team when the season began because it was returning a strong corps of players, including four starters. Led by seniors Sara Yee and Danielle Browne as well as junior Judie Lomax, it seemed as if the Lions finally had a team that could legitimately challenge the upper echelon of the Ivy League. Thus far, the Light Blue has not disappointed. Head coach Paul Nixon’s team is 11-5, with three of its losses coming against teams from major conferences (Iowa, St. John’s, and North Carolina State).

Though I had gone to other women’s basketball games earlier this season, I have to admit I was a little surprised by what I saw on Saturday afternoon. The Lions played as solid of a game as I have seen them play. Lomax paced the Lions with 30 points and 17 rebounds and even outscored the Big Red 18-17 in the first half. Despite the fact that Lomax was a dominant force on offense, it never seemed like the Light Blue was one dimensional, which kept Cornell honest. When the Big Red tried to buckle down in the paint, the Lions were able to kick the ball back out to the perimeter for open shots.

Finishing off a season sweep of Cornell this weekend was definitely an important step for the Lions, but this weekend’s game won’t turn many heads. Next week, however, the Light Blue will embark on its most important road trip of the season, as it takes on perennial powers Harvard and Dartmouth. The Big Green were picked in the preseason media poll to repeat as Ancient Eight champions for the third consecutive year and got off to a good start in the league with a 45-44 win over Harvard in Hanover on January 16.

The road trip to Harvard and Dartmouth next weekend is where the Lions have a chance to make a loud statement to the rest of the league that they are legitimate contenders for the league crown. Along with being able to make a statement to the other members of the Ancient Eight this weekend, the Light Blue has the chance to turn some heads on this campus. If the Lions can pull off at least one upset this weekend and sweep Brown and Yale on the road next weekend, they’ll return to Levien Gym on February 12 with a 5-1 league record and be at or near the top of the league standings.

Columbia may be lacking in the school spirit department, but I’ve seen students get on board with teams that win—case in point, the 2006 women’s soccer team. I know many people who made the trip to Harvard to cheer on that team as it won the Ivy League. Why? Because everybody loves a winner. The house may not have been very packed for the women’s game on Saturday, but if the Lions can put some more wins on the board, we’ll see what Levien looks like in a few weeks.