Dartmouth Trims Gap, Falls to Columbia, 73-63

Friday, February 14

New York, N.Y.

7:00 PM

Dartmouth College

7-13,1-6Ivy League

Columbia

12-8,3-4Ivy League

Dartmouth

Columbia

Sophomore Jimena Abejon

Photo by: Doug Austin

Dartmouth Trims Gap, Falls to Columbia, 73-63

2/14/2020 9:08:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

The Big Green had four players in double figures

By: Mike Miezejeski

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Dartmouth had four players in double figures and trimmed an 18-point deficit to eight in the fourth quarter, but Columbia held on to win, 73-63, Friday night at Levien Gymnasium.

Jimena Abejon scored a career-high 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting for the Big Green (7-13, 1-6 Ivy League). Katie Douglas had 14 points, while Anna Luce and Annie McKenna each finished with 10. McKenna played the full 40 minutes.

The Lions (12-8, 3-4 Ivy) had three players in double figures. Abbey Hsu and Janiya Clemmons each had 19 points and Sienna Durr tallied 16.

Columbia was 18-of-21 from the free throw line, compared to 4-of-6 for Dartmouth.

"Our challenge is to learn how to fight for 40 minutes," said Belle Koclanes, the Gail Koziara Boudreaux '82 and Family Head Coach of Women's Basketball. "But we won the second half, we had four players in double figures and had 32 points in the paint. We just didn't start the game well, so we need figure out how to stay competitive for 40 minutes to earn a victory."

Columbia scored the first 10 points over the first four-plus minutes of action. The Big Green responded when Elle Louie drove to the rim and scored, and Douglas followed with a triple, to cut the deficit in half. The Lions then regained control and outscored Dartmouth 8-3, with four free throws, to take an 18-8 advantage after one.

The Lions opened the second on a 14-6 run, with six of those points from the line, to extend their lead to 18 points with 5:33 until the half. McKenna gave the Big Green life with a 3-pointer followed by buckets from Luce and Abejon. McKenna hit another three, but Columbia maintained a 42-27 lead at the break.

The teams traded baskets in the early going of the third. Abejon drilled a triple with 7:53 on the clock to keep Dartmouth's gap at 13 points. Douglas then knocked down a three, but Columbia stayed with the pace and led 59-44 at the end of three.

Dartmouth made things interesting when Douglas converted an and-one to make it an eight-point game with 7:52 to go. Columbia pulled away with a 14-6 run before Douglas and Luce sunk back-to-back 3-pointers in the final minute to finish the contest.

The Big Green are back in action on Saturday at Cornell for a 5:00 p.m. start.