November 10th, 2019: Fordham at Columbia

Just the Facts, Ma'am: Columbia took second-quarter momentum with them to the second half and dominated Fordham 70-51. Abbey Hsu had 15 points to lead the Lions, with Kaitlyn Davis adding 14 off the bench. Kaitlyn Downey had 19 points to lead Fordham before fouling out.

For bewilderment, confusion, a lack of effort on so many people's parts, exhaustion, and an inability to can even, join your intrepid and repetitive blogger after the jump.


They say there's no rest for the weary, and there's also no rest for the nerdy, as your intrepid blogger heads uptown to watch Fordham take on Columbia at Levien Gymnasium.

Whoever put the "Espresso Patronum!" sign up on the coffee stand, I appreciate your geekiness and your flair for puns, but your grasp of Latin needs some work.

I don't see Isis Young on the Fordham bench, so I don't think she's playing. I'm not even sure if she traveled.

Well, this is not what I was expecting after the fight we gave Notre Dame. Columbia is up one at the half, 32-31. Madison Hardy made a splash with five points in the last couple of minutes, while program-featured player Kaitlyn Davis is carrying the load with 10 points. Kaitlyn Downey has 14 to power Fordham, but no one else seems to be able to hit shots.

I would have expected more originality from an Ivy League school than the Imperial March for opposing introductions.

The PA guy is terrible. So terrible. He doesn't seem to have read the Fordham pronunciation guide, he seems to think the women's game is played in halves, he's inconsistent about announcing subs, he takes forever to announce fouls, and forget knowing the opposing roster- he doesn't even seem sure who Columbia's players are. This is a problem when you're the Columbia announcer, I'm just saying.

For the love of all that is sweet and holy, please turn down the sound system slightly. The music is ridiculously loud.

Allow me to sum up my feelings about this game in one quote from in-game commentary: Sarah Karpell, for reasons beyond human imagining, decided to go one-on-three and ballhog in a way that would have made Cappie Pondexter say, "Nah, you should have passed that ball." My reaction, literally: "I- I- I- I- that was so bad my inability to can can't even." I'm very glad Kaitlyn Downey decided to show up for this game. I just wish the rest of her teammates had bothered to join her. This wasn't even a hangover game, this was a "woke up in a tub of ice with a kidney missing" game.

I will give all the credit in the world to Columbia's ball movement on offense and the way they extended their defense. They forced us into very uncomfortable positions, and we weren't ready for it. I can understand the freshmen not being prepared. The returning players have far less of an excuse.

I would desperately like to know what is up with Zara Jillings. She's gone from one of our top reserves last year to not even getting off the bench in the first half and ending up a billionaire in the second half. I realize Sarah Karpell is doing a lot of the same things on defense, but Zara has the advantages of height and a year of experience. Something seems extremely off here. Katie McLoughlin saw some time in the second half to try and start something with hustle, but it didn't work. Nothing worked and I am so very tired. Catherine Polisano saw some garbage time at the end of the game, when Coach Gaitley finally threw in the towel (more or less). Megan Jonassen got maybe two stretches of play, if that, and was ineffective.

I'm going to break my usual rhythm here, because the minute splits were just that pronounced. Sarah Karpell brought the defense, but her offense is definitely a work in progress, and that one-on-three possession broke my brain. I have never so thoroughly lost my ability to can even before. She played heavy minutes, for reasons I don't completely understand. Vilisi Tavui got the start, but she didn't play a lot, between foul trouble and what appeared to be straight-up fear. She's a weapon, but she's a weapon we can't use until she figures out how to be used, and that's a problem.

Something is deeply wrong with Bre Cavanaugh's shot, at least through these first couple of games. Her floaters/lay-ups don't look good coming off her hand, and her jumper hasn't been consistent enough to make up for that. She was at least able to force a little action from the Columbia defense, but she's not playing like someone who can command the opposing defense's respect. Anna DeWolfe did not know how to deal with the defense Columbia was throwing at her. They extended the defense almost all the way to the halfcourt line and put a lot of pressure on the ballhandler. Some handled it better than others. Anna did not handle it well.

Oh, Kene. I love Kendell Heremaia dearly, but one of these days she's going to be the death of me. Squashing Bre on a loose ball like she had momentarily forgotten she was not playing rugby is pretty close. She and most of the rest of the guards had this bizarre fixation on trying to force the ball inside. I have no idea why. I just don't. I don't know what the thought process was there. I don't know if there even was a thought process there. Kaitlyn Downey was the only bright spot in this game, hitting her corner threes, nailing her midrange jumpers, and getting open on backdoor cuts. I know I've come down hard on Kaitlyn to start the season, but she made up for being overwhelmed against Notre Dame. I just wish the rest of the team had come along for the ride.

Madison Hardy certainly knows how to make a splash. Her two buckets at the end of the second quarter gave Columbia huge momentum going into the half with the lead, and she added one during the fourth quarter to help put the game away. Most of the rest of the bench didn't play much: Carly Rivera saw a little time in the first half, Madison Pack hit a three as part of our continuing fourth-quarter humiliation, and Stephanie Flynn saw spot minutes in both halves. The only other bench player to see heavy time was Kaitlyn Davis, who demonstrated a marvelous ability to draw fouls and get to the line. She shot as many free throws by herself as Fordham did as a team.

What first drew my attention about Mikayla Markham was her vocal communication on the court- she was calling signals quickly. She picked up her offense in the second half. Janiya Clemmons drove hard and didn't make a lot of her shots, but her penetration helped set up her teammates. Abbey Hsu's three-point ability is extremely useful for Columbia, and every one of her shots seemed to bury us a little deeper emotionally, like we had failed in our plan on top of failing everything else.

I don't know what else to say about this game. It's been a few days, frankly because I don't want to write about it. We gave up. We gave up threes and we gave up drives and we gave up on offense. I don't understand how a team that took Notre Dame to the final minute could fall apart so badly against Columbia. I respect what the Lions did, and how they executed their game plan, but we went toe-to-toe with a bigger and more talented team than them. I don't understand any of this.

Read More...

Summary only...

November 29th, 2017: Boston College at Columbia

Just the Facts, Ma’am: Rebounding and defense keyed a second half comeback for Columbia in their matinee win against Boston College, 68-60. Camille Zimmerman had 14 points and seven assists in the win for the Lions. Georgia Pineau led all scorers with 22 for Boston College.

For missed chances, going the long way around, a lack of creativity, cranky coaches, undisciplined fouls, showcases, and restraining children, join your intrepid and curious blogger after the jump.

Good morning, folks! Your intrepid blogger, two apple cakes later, is back on the basketball grind, doing the twi-night doubleheader, as you do. First it’s off to Columbia for their game against Boston College.

Note to self: stop trying to walk from the C train, it’s not a good plan. Too many hills and my feet already hurt from being on them so much of the day yesterday. Ended up going around the hilly side of the campus and losing track of avenues. I’ve lived in New York all my life, but named avenues still throw me off when I go uptown.

So far this appears to be one of the better-organized kids’ day games I’ve ever been to. They’re loading the groups efficiently, and there are actually seats reserved for those few adults brave enough to dare the screaming. Also, we have band. I am pleased by this turn of events. Now, if the wi-fi would cooperate, we’d really be on a roll.

There was a pregame presentation to honor Camille Zimmerman becoming Columbia’s all-time leading scorer, which is very cool. Records are made to be broken, after all.

This has not exactly been inspiring basketball. At halftime, BC is up 29-27, and it would be more if they could hit a free throw. It’s a miracle that Columbia is this close, given that Camille Zimmerman got called for three straight fouls in the second quarter, cutting her minutes. But BC has been turning the ball over and not capitalizing when they manage to hold on to it. I don’t know how much longer Columbia’s luck can hold, and I feel like it’s going to depend on when Zimmerman picks up the fourth foul.

There’s being agnostic about ticket sales, and then there’s selling tickets behind the home bench to two vocal BC fans. This is not a good plan.

To the kids behind me: I get what you’re saying, and I’m not saying you’re necessarily wrong, but could you find something more creative than “You suck!” to yell whenever Columbia makes a stupid mistake? Thanks.

I want a drink so badly, but I don’t think daring the concession stand is a good idea, especially since Columbia has apparently switched to being a Pepsi place. Booooooo.

At LIU, before the home team takes free throws, the band yells in chorus, “FREE THROWS WIN BALL GAMES!” I feel like BC’s coach is going to be doing the same thing as soon as they get into the locker room... and on the bus... and off the bus... and back to Chestnut Hill. For most of the game, the Eagles outplayed the Lions- but they choked at the line, and I think that made all the difference.

Katie Quandt is a load down low, not afraid to muscle her way to the basket for offensive rebounds and either putbacks or free throws. I can imagine how she got the injury that led to the facemask. Milan Bolden-Morris wears her shorts just a little bit too tight for my liking- not short like booty shorts, but tight like they look uncomfortable. She had a good fourth quarter- big shots, big defensive plays. They list her as a guard, but she takes on some of the frontcourt duties when she has to. Martina Mosetti was busy on defense.

Sydney Lowery’s a gunner, or at least she was in this game. But I still like her potential. She definitely had her freshman moments, but I think she can learn from those and develop her judgment. That head fake she threw was sweet. Andie Anastos got most of her points driving the lane, with the Columbia defense parting before her. I don’t get that either. Taylor Ortlepp was out there, but she didn’t distinguish herself. I think she might have been the one who committed the lane violation that sealed BC’s fate, but I’m not sure.

Georgia Pineau was big on the inside, barreling into the paint for lay-ups and pulling down boards. She had quite a few blocks, with especially spectacular ones on Josie Little and Maya Sampleton. Her conditioning needs work- there was a point in the third quarter where she was pulling on her jersey in the time-honored signal of “I need a break”. But when she came down the lane, Columbia defenders either got out of the way or fouled her. Emma Guy was equally tough (I suppose a “tough Guy” joke is expected here), with a nice offensive rebound and putback on a missed free throw. I thought the fourth foul call on her was dubious. They aren’t the best, or the most physical, post tandem I’ve ever seen from BC, but bear in mind we used to get the Carolyn Swords/Stefanie Murphy combo visiting St. John’s. That’s a high standard to live up to. She needs to be more careful with her footwork.

Appropriately enough for a hockey school, Boston College used line changes in the final minute or so. I’m used to single-player offense/defense substitution, but BC’s coach was calling on entire three-person units.

It’s a good thing Columbia isn’t one of my usual teams. I’d spend an awful lot of time confused, since the Lions have a guard named Maya Sampleton. She did not get off to an inspiring start (I think she was the player who let a pass hit her in the face and go out of bounds) but came up with some big threes in the third quarter to help Columbia seize the lead. Andrea McCormick saw time very briefly in the second quarter, right around the time when Columbia’s coach was yelling at her bench that someone else had to score and was throwing in pretty much anyone. The three probably calmed the coach’s nerves slightly. Janiya Clemmons was a shot in the arm of offense, hitting floaters in the lane. She played well enough that she got the second half start.

Imani Whittington did not cover herself in glory in her brief time. Ill-advised fouls have a tendency to do that. I barely noticed she was there until she started committing the fouls. Abby Lee was solid rebounding, and hit a three in the second quarter that helped pull Columbia closer. She got the second half start for Madison Pack, but that was due to injury. Not that she didn’t play well, but this was a case where it wasn’t that one player had clearly outplayed another.

Riley Casey started the game, but she was the one benched for Clemmons. I understand the move- she was very hesitant at point guard, holding the ball too long and missing open shooters in the corners. Going to the bench seemed to enliven her, as she scored almost all of her points in the fourth quarter. When her three goes down, it’s a pretty shot, high-arcing. Paige Tippet shut the door with her free throws at the end of the game. Good hustle player.

Why, yes, I did pretty much bury the lede. It’s my standard procedure, build to the good stuff. In this case, the good stuff is Camille Zimmerman, the Lions’ star utility forward. She plays the game at a different level from her teammates. She’s looking for angles they don’t see. She’s making plays before they are. There were at least two occasions where she collided with a teammate on a rebound or a loose ball when her teammate was the one in position to make the play. I recognize that Columbia is a fantastic option for one’s future, but I believe with all my heart that she’d be a far better basketball player at another school, with more talented teammates and a better coach. (And it’s not like there aren’t academic schools out there with strong women’s hoops programs. God, what VanDerveer could do with her.) There are limits to her game- she didn’t seem to have a strong perimeter shot, and she can’t get into foul trouble the way she did in this one. But I love her vision on the floor and her versatility inside the arc. Madison Pack was shot happy from outside, and she rebounded well. I didn’t see the play where she injured her ankle, only that she came off the court limping and didn’t play in the second half (she didn’t even return to the bench until midway through the third quarter). Josie Little was strong on the inside, with a couple of monster blocks, one on Guy, one on Pineau, and she seemed to pick up steam as the game went on. She helped make her team and her teammates better.

Columbia’s coach appears to be very frustrated with her lot in life. She is of the “if I yell at the bench after the players on the floor screw up, magic will happen” school, though slightly less caustic than Coach Del Preore. (Stephanie, if you’re reading this, I really do like you and would love to sit in the stands with you at a game. It’s just that if I played for you I’d try to punch you in the face.)

If Camille Zimmerman’s third foul had been allocated to Madison Pack the way I thought it should have been, this might have been an entirely different game. The officials were lax on three-second calls and got looser on travels as the game went on.

I don’t know if this falls under the referees’ or some other officials’ purview, but there were long delays before tipoff and before the start of the second half. I know the game was on SNY, but the red-hatting seemed excessive.

I expected more out of an Ivy League band. Columbia’s band was very disappointing- competent, but not innovative.

I understand why Columbia scheduled up this year- Camille Zimmerman deserves a showcase. But I don’t think the rest of this team, including its staff, is on the same level. And I don’t know how much room for improvement there is.

Read More...

Summary only...

May 7th, 2017: Connecticut at New York

Just the Facts, Ma’am: Sloppy, physical play doomed the New York Liberty in their 79-57 loss to the Connecticut Sun at Columbia University. Tina Charles led the Liberty with 20 points and nine rebounds, but no other New York player mustered more than nine points. Morgan Tuck had 20 points to lead Connecticut.

For bleacher creatures, the wrong entrance, lost Connecticut fans, sloppy play, distressing starters, and offensive concerns, join your intrepid and peripatetic blogger after the jump.

Is it Mother’s Day? My family’s celebrating next week, but I honestly can’t remember if it’s this Sunday or next Sunday. In either case, felicitations and joy to all the moms out there, just for the heck of it. (Especially you, Mom.)

We’re on our way to the Liberty’s last preseason game, their only home preseason game (for a given value of home), as they take on the Connecticut Sun. It’s a few more stops on the C than usual. All right, it’s 10 more stops from Penn Station to Levien Gymnasium. Good thing all my batteries are fully charged.

Things I learned today: there’s another entrance to Levien! I’m spinning this as a positive, but it was a bit hairy at moments. Maybe letting people know which entrance to use, or at least leaving a note with the Columbia kid manning the gate at the usual entrance, would have been helpful. People who have been to Columbia games (which, granted, is a farily small subset of Liberty fans) are going to automatically go in the way they always have, not through the entrance at the other end that says NO ENTRY.

Court was cleared fairly quickly. I only even saw one Sun player. (I’m assuming Connecticut brought more than one player.)

Good to see the Usual Suspects again (and shoutout to the proud Johnny who greeted us in the stands).

Y’know, I’ve been to Levien before. I have GNoD to prove it. I should really have remembered to bring seat cushions.

Protip: if MTA’s trip planner tells you to take the C and walk across, do not do this thing. Trip Planner does not take elevation into account. So many stairs. If you like stairs, however, Morningside Park is very pretty.

I’m not sure how I feel about Amanda Zahui B’s hair. I think she needs to freshen it up.

At halftime, it’s 37-27 Connecticut, and that’s after the Liberty recovered from a hellacious first quarter where we had no field goals. Tina Charles basically decided in the second quarter that she did not approve of these shenanigans and scored 15 of her 18 points. The offensive schemes need some work. A lot of work. At the very least we need to not pass into triple-teams. Connecticut is being very physical and very handsy.

Fantasy game at halftime, coached by Sue Wicks and Kym Hampton. And I’m pretty sure someone with a quirky sense of humor put A’riel Hampton on Sue’s team... I guess that’s one way to make sure the coach doesn’t play favorites.

Anthem by one of the Knicks City Dancers, accompanied on keyboard by the Garden organist. Or, as I like to call it, the easy listening version of the anthem.

Sue is really into coaching this fantasy game. It’s adorable. She’s hamming it up. Kym has gone for the more stoic approach.

I really want one of those Liberty warm-up jackets. The new design is fire emoji.

That could have gone better. I suppose it could have gone worse, but I’m a bit hard pressed to figure out how. Two of our projected starters looked like hot trash on a platter, one looked like she didn’t care for two quarters of the game, and I have no idea who’s going to be on our bench. And if I were a Connecticut fan, I might still be slightly worried about the overly physical play. (I might also be wondering why Williams is starting over Banham.)

Brionna Jones got all her run in the in the second half, and she brought physicality down low with those shoulders. She had a nice putback off a miss from the corner. Danielle Adams showed some of the outside touch, and surprising mobility for her size. (And for all of her legendary flopping expertise, I think the charge she took was legit. Nayo got leverage on her. Shoulder right under the breasts. I winced in sympathy.) Reshanda Gray needs to work on her ballhandling, or the post equivalent thereof- she had a lot of trouble holding on to the ball. I like her hustle on the inside, but I think she’s going to be on the outside looking in with this roster. I think the Sun are very happy to have Lynetta Kizer back, both for the power she brings down low on both ends of the floor and the midrange jumper she flashed. She never stops, and I admire that about her.

For all her shooting woes, I thought Rachel Banham actually had a pretty good game. She looked like she was settling into a lead guard position, and her defense was better than I was expecting. It probably didn’t help her that the vagaries of switching defense often left her with a faceful of Zahui, the one player on that court who probably knows her better than any other. Kelly Faris brought a lot of good, scrappy, hustle defense; somehow it seems appropriate that with a game like this, she came up with the final rebound. Shekinna Stricklen’s height caused problems, and she’s still in love with that three. Jessica January did not impress, except in the sense that she made someone else look worse.

Courtney Williams is a little waterbug, and I mean that in the nicest possible way. Like Betty Lennox once did, she can juke and slice her way through a defense. She’s aggressive defensively, sometimes to a fault. She might be a little more headstrong going to the basket than her coach would like. Jasmine Thomas didn’t call glass on the three, but since this isn’t the playground it doesn’t matter. The hand-checks were getting called on her. She’s got to be smarter than that, especially with Banham breathing down her neck.

Jonquel Jones is a freakin’ beast. She barely played and she still stole the show, rebounding by sheer force of will and wingspan. She had a monster, perfectly timed and executed, block on Nayo. That trade with LA is starting to look really good for both teams. Alyssa Thomas can be a one-woman fast break, but she didn’t need to be. She had trouble with the defense closing in on her. Morgan Tuck was solid, taking advantage of horrific baseline defense to cut to the basket. She drew a lot of fouls and hit her free throws. She looks recovered from the knee surgery.

If I’m Connecticut, based on the three games I’ve seen, my last three cuts are Gray, January, and Adams in that order, depending on the cap. (Sorry, Too Tall. Love you, but you need more seasoning overseas.)

Ameryst Alston brought a little offensive pop in garbage time. I don’t know if she has what it takes to make the regular season roster, but I like how hard she works. Lindsay Allen did not impress. She’s got good speed, and she’s willing to work on defense, but a point guard has to be able to pass, and I’m not seeing that passing eye from her. (My favorite-in-the-sarcastic sense play was the one where she essentially turned the ball over twice on the same possession, first passing it right at Faris, getting the bounce off Faris’s hands, then throwing it away towards Amanda.) Brittany Boyd has got to hit those free throws she draws, but I love her hustle. Her defense was good, and she’s really mastered the art of drawing contact (though to be fair, Connecticut was fouling everyone at every time). That woman deserves all the ice baths.

If Jacki Gemelos wants to make this roster as a three-point specialist, she needs to hit three-pointers. Barring that, she needs to bring it on defense. You can’t get caught with your hands down on a shooter. I remain utterly unimpressed. Kai James should have finished a lot more at the rim- she got some beautiful looks (including one from Lindsay) and either handed them off (resulting in turnovers) or took soft shots as if she were afraid to take contact (resulting in turnovers). If she was supposed to prove anything in this game and in the DNP-CD of Kia Vaughn, she didn’t. Cierra Burdick hustled, but not much else. Getting crossed over by Kelly Faris and then owned on the glass by a rookie is not a good look for a bubble player. Amanda Zahui B was inconsistent on the offense, not taking post shots she should have taken and surrendering to the urge to take the outside jumper.

Sugar. Sugar, we need you to take better shots. Too many of them were ill-advised quick shots (including that one-armed heave from the sideline with, like, seven seconds left; it looked like a terrible life decision from my angle, but I’m not sure if she was falling out of bounds or not). I don’t know what to make of her, especially with the repetitive offense we were running. Maybe she’ll be all right when we have more of the post offense installe dand she isn’t under as much defensive pressure. Bria Hartley took her turn at the lead guard, and she was all right offensively, but mostly in terms of looking for her own offense, not in terms of setting up other people. She might be effective as a three-point threat, which is something we really don’t have.

Rebecca Allen was a hot mess, and I’m worried about her. She’s not moving effectively on defense, and she didn’t look to shoot at all. If she’s going to start at three, she’s going to have to shape up right quick. Tina Charles woke up in the second quarter, looked around, and decided to impose her will on the game. Then she got bored with that, and she didn’t play most of the second half. We already know what she can do in the high post. I’m still annoyed that her rebounding was lackadaisical. Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe showed strength on the boards, but I’m not happy with her timidity on the offensive end, or her ability to hold on to the ball.

The offense was a disaster. I almost said hot mess, but I don’t like being repetitive. There are so many times you can pass into the teeth of a triple team before I start doubting the entire team’s sanity, including the coaching staff. Yes, you have to install your sets, but you also have to recognize when that set might not be working and maybe tinker with it a little more before you unleash it on unwitting opponents.

I suspect we’re going to keep Lindsay Allen just so we can say the draft wasn’t a complete waste, but I’m not seeing what they’re seeing in her. I still think Cierra Burdick and Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe are the last survivors of the cuts, but we’ll see what goes down at the deadline. Trader Bill and the crew have pulled last-minute magic before.

The officials called a lot of touch fouls and a lot of cheap fouls. I don’t think either side was thrilled. Curt Miller spent a lot of time expressing his opinions of the matter at halfcourt.

What was up with the Sun staff all wearing red sweaters? They looked like some kind of demented Christmas photo.

The Columbia-Subway concession connection remains intact, and the Liberty provided vouchers for what was essentially a value meal. I like when we get free stuff.

Despite the fact that this was supposed to be open only to New York Liberty season subscribers, there were a couple of people there in Connecticut Sun gear. I don’t know if they cadged tickets off friends, or they were related to Sun people, or if they’re two-timing their teams, but they should not be able to catch our shirts.

I’m not going to completely panic yet, since we don’t have one of our starters and one of our best interior defenders, and Kia Vaughn was a DNP. But I’m going to worry just a touch. I don’t know who’s going to start alongside Tina in the front court, and I don’t think Rebecca Allen came in ready to play.

I’m looking forward to real action. See you on Saturday!

Read More...

Summary only...

May 5th, 2016: Minnesota at New York

Just the Facts, Ma'am: The Minnesota Lynx raced out to a big early lead, then held off a second half charge by the New York Liberty to win 77-74 at Columbia University. Renee Montgomery had 17 points to lead the Lynx, with Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles each adding 10 in limited minutes. Sugar Rodgers led all scorers with 22 points off the bench.

For bleachers, festivities, funny hats, dogs in ponchos, Talia Caldwell's dance moves, fantasy games, grit, and the gift of t-shirts, join your intrepid and renewed blogger after the jump.
You knew it was coming. Maybe you feared it; maybe you anticipated it. Maybe you didn't want to think about it.

The Game Notes of Doom are back.

We'll be coming to you from the friendly and vaguely familiar confines of Levien Gymnasium, on the campus of Columbia University, as the New York Liberty take on the Minnesota Lynx. Unfortunately, your intrepid blogger has this pesky thing called a job and will have to miss the pregame festivities celebrating Cinco de Mayo. (Which is not to be confused with Cinco de Maya, the feast day of Maya Moore, patroness of large cats and championship trophies.)

Our season tickets look pretty awesome, and the envelope is even more spectacular. (I'm in the profession now, so I notice these things.) The season subscriber gift was a lanyard and plastic badge holder big enough for the tickets. (By the way, our official name is apparently "Liberty Loyal", but that's a stupid name, so I'm electing to ignore it.)

Look. Guys. If you're going to put preseason games in places WNBA games are not normally held, can you please get the security straight? Tell people which door to go through and what to do when they get there. Don't block the door on my husband when you've just let me in.

Maya's having fun out there. Finished her stretches with a couple of 360-degree spins on her butt. I wish the DJ would turn down the music a little, though.

We got maracas! I know, you're excited about the prospect of me being able to make even more noise, right?

There's someone on the end of the Liberty bench who looks an awful lot like Aleesha Powell. Turn around, person with big fuzzy hair! In the end, I don't think it was her.

Hee, Kym Hampton singing along with "Dancin' in the Streets". I'm easily amused.

I think they're still working out the handicapped seating a little bit.

We have mariachis at halftime. Also at halftime, Minnesota is up 44-31, on some really lousy shooting by both teams. Brittany Boyd has got to hit the shots she gets when the penetration is available.

Dude, you can either show up late, you can extol the virtues of Saint Maya to me, or you can come in stinking (and I mean stinking) of weed. You can't do all of these things at once.

Heh. The two Fever gals catching up at the half, Shavonte Zellous and Natasha Howard.

Kiah Stokes did not dress for this game. Street clothes are very nice, though far too many zippers.

We look rusty. Too many missed shots, too many steps slow. Minnesota looks a little rough, but still better than we do. That being said, if we play like this when we have our full roster, if we bring this kind of grit and hustle and three players diving on the floor in a preseason game, if we can come to the point where we declare "this far and no further" and mean it, we have a shot to be as good as we were last year.

Porsha Roberts has all the tools to be someone's Michelle Campbell or Aneika Henry, the player who goes overseas for a few years and becomes a star there before returning to the United States and becoming a solid piece to a W team. She's phenomenally athletic and has a good build, and I like her eye for rebounds. She's not as skilled as she could be, but those things can be learned. Bashaara Graves has pretty good instincts for a rookie. She had a nice steal in the first quarter that led to a break and a lay-up for her. I don't think I've ever seen someone foul out in a preseason game before, but Keisha Hampton managed it. She played like a Blue Demon- in other words, whenever the opportunity presented itself to take a long shot, she took it.

Sydney Wallace wasn't afraid to shoot, and I think that helped her a lot. When she missed, she missed badly, but when she hit, she was deadly. Renee Montgomery is a human pinball, especially on inbounds plays. I don't think she endears herself to opponents very much, judging from the number of times she got tangled up with either Swin Cash or Jennifer Lacy. She has phenomenal quickness and no fear. That floater near the end was pretty clutch. She just rubs me the wrong way, though. Nika Baric was unimpressive, but our PA guy probably wants Minnesota to keep her just so he can keep saying her name. He has a fondness for Eastern European names. Courtney Clements has pretty intimidating eyebrows and a hilariously wild shot. She reacted well on the boards, and she's a good hustle player, but she can be a liability on offense.

Jia Perkins had a quiet game, but that doesn't mean you can leave her open, Shoni. Jia Perkins hits open shots. Lindsay Whalen, like most of the starters, didn't play very much, so it's hard for me to get a sense of where she is this year as compared to all the other years, but she drove a bit. Maya Moore will do Maya Moore things, like hit step-back jumpers as the half expires, or pass the ball under an opponent's leg so Natasha Howard can hit a lay-up, or snatch the ball from Swin Cash like the candy from the proverbial baby. She burst to life in the second quarter, which was really all they needed from her.

Natasha Howard has so much potential, but if the Indiana "Welcome All Post Reclamation Projects!" Fever can't make heads nor tails of her, she might have a long way to go. She's in the third year, though, so if she's going to make a leap, this is the time she's going to do it. She's got to move her feet more and her arms less. Seriously. Sancho Lyttle at and in Houston video. NOW. Am I the only one who sees it? Sylvia Fowles had a big first quarter, getting Minnesota off to a quick start with power moves in the paint. She didn't play much after that, but I think she proved that she's still Big Syl.

I honestly don't know how much confidence Cheryl Reeve has in her team. Minnesota seemed to burn through their timeouts a lot more quickly than the score seemed to require. They've also still got a problem with foul discipline- there's a difference between physical defense and overly grabby defense, and Minnesota's first instinct is to grab. I'm also not sure how much coaching she herself was doing; Jim Petersen was on his feet and doing clipboard magic almost as much as she was.

Elin Eldebrink didn't look quite as lost as her last box score seemed to indicate, but there's still no way she's making this team. She wasn't terrible, and I like her heart, but she didn't show anything spectacular enough to squeeze her onto a crammed roster. Ameryst Alston showed willingness to drive the lane somewhat, but couldn't keep up with the speed of the game and couldn't hit the shots she was given. She's another player who might do better developing in Europe before attempting to break back into the WNBA. Sugar Rodgers had herself a fourth quarter. She's streaky. She's inconsistent. She's maddening. But when she's on, she's a sight to behold. Is there a way to be cool and excited at the same time? Because that's how she rolls. Shoni Schimmel can fire up an offense, but we'd better be in serious need of offense and not defense if she's anywhere near the floor. She's not a good defender. She doesn't know how to stay on or near her assignment. Her lack of movement creates horrific mismatches, and at least tonight, we didn't have anyone who could fully cover up for her.

Avery Warley-Talbert brought her lunch bucket today. She was a huge part of the second-half comeback, playing hard on defense and pulling down boards. It's going to be a tight squeeze if we want to fit her on the roster, but she's been good for us (and honestly, I think we've been good for her- she seems a lot more relaxed than she was when she first started with us). Jennifer Lacy was a tweener, stretching the offense but playing interior defense. She did a good job defending her teammates- there was a sequence where one of the guards got hit on offense, so Jennifer turned around and sawhorsed the offender on the other end of the floor. Talia Caldwell was very physical, but she's not going to get anywhere if she keeps committing offensive fouls. I feel like she'd be a good person to have on the team, but not the right fit as a player. Adut Bulgak has promise, and she had a really nice block on Bashaara Graves. She needs to work on her game, but she's a rookie, that's how they roll.

Brittany Boyd was super frustrating tonight. She got good looks at the basket and got good passes to take those looks, but they don't count if you can't hit them. She brings life to the game and life to the team, but again, it means nothing if the shots don't go down. Tanisha Wright seemed to settle back into playing shoothing guard, but she took a lot of jumpers and missed a lot of jumpers. I still like having her around for her defense, though.

Swin Cash cleaned up on the glass- both of her baskets were on putbacks. She also took charge of explaining to Amy Bonner why she was wrong about things. There was a lot of explaining to be done. Tina Charles didn't play much, but she looked good when she did. She's still a little too fond of the outside jumper for my personal preference, but I know Bill prefers to use her as a four, and that's part of being a four in modern basketball. That doesn't mean I have to like it. Carolyn Swords used her height well to pull away rebounds from shorter opponents. She's got to hit her shots at the rim, and she has to hold on to the ball- there were a couple of plays where she fumbled or dropped passes and rebounds.

We need to work on our shooting. Maybe things were off because we weren't familiar with the sight lines at Levien. Maybe we were tight, nervous, trying too hard because it's preseason and there are a lot of players competing for very few spots. But the shooting was bad. The defense was solid in the second half. That's what we hang our hat on; that's what we make our identity on; that's how we're going to succeed.

Levien wasn't equipped with replay technology, because otherwise there were several plays that would have gone to the monitor. There were two out-of-bounds plays that were sketchy, and there were issues with the clock reset for much of the night. I think both the teams and the officials are getting used to the new rules. It was a tightly called game, for the most part, except for one sequence where Montgomery got tangled with everyone and then Jennifer retaliated. (And the sequence where Montgomery held Swin at one end, Swin hooked back at the other, Montgomery hooked her again, and then the foul was on Montgomery.) The new guy communicates well, but we need to see what he can do in a regular W arena with the usual bells, whistles, lights, horns, sirens, and equipment.

Pretty good turnout, all things considered. I was certainly glad we brought our WCBB seat cushions, though- the chairback seating was reserved for Delta Club, so the general admission seats were in the bleachers.

There was a short fantasy game after the regular game, for some lucky season subscribers to suit up in Liberty practice jerseys and get on the court. Liberty players coached, or "coached", or at least coaxed and encouraged, their teams to a surprisingly competitive fourteen-minute, two-half game. The funniest part was the pregame entertainment- they needed to stall so the players could come out, so they played that game where one person in the middle throws the ball at people and if they don't catch it, they're out. The crowd was quite gleeful when the guy in the middle dropped the ball with three players to go.

The incident mentioned above with security led our long-suffering rep Morgan to hook us up with wristbands to the post-game autograph session. (Thanks for putting up with us, Morgan.) The n00bs were there- Adut, Ameryst, Shoni, and Shavonte, who were all very nice. And then we got bonus Lynx, Whalen and Fowles. They were both very professional, but I got a "er, why are we part of an event for a bunch of opposing fans?" vibe off of them, like they felt a little weird about delaying everyone else. (I also have no shame and snagged Courtney Clements, who was hanging out by the door with Jia Perkins.)

The rosters are really hard to pare down, especially for the Liberty. There's too much up in the air with Piph and potentially Rebecca Allen. I can't even fathom a guess. But I'm looking forward to the regular season and seeing how all the pieces fit together.

Read More...

Summary only...

March 7th, 2015: Princeton at Columbia

Just the Facts, Ma'am: The Princeton Tigers kept rolling towards perfection and clinched the Ivy League title with a 63-44 win at Columbia. Blake Dietrick led Princeton with 17 points, while Annie Tarakchian came up just shy of a double-double with 9 points and 9 rebounds. Tori Oliver led all scorers with 18.

For the end of all things, a look at history, tracking rebounds, too many stairs, badly designed stations, friendly strangers, and big cats, join your intrepid and gimpy blogger after the jump.



Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, and of course all our readers who eschew the gender binary!

We're wrapping up the regular season here in New York with an evening visit to Levien Gymnasium on the grounds of Columbia University, where the Lions hope to spoil the heretofore undefeated season of the Princeton Tigers. As is customary when chronicling the athletic endeavors of the Ancient Eight, your intrepid blogger will attempt to elevate the level of her writing to suit the academic excellence of these two schools.

We're up in row Q at Levien, having been assigned to the Princeton side of the court. It's already bustling half an hour before tip. There are a lot of people in orange and black, and a lot of alumni showing their pride.

I believe several members of Leslie Robinson's family, including her father, have joined us this evening. Since security hasn't been amped up and I haven't been strip-searched, I'm assuming Aunt Michelle will not be coming.

The Columbia band has chosen to wear their most formal gear for this game. I suppose that makes sense. You dress up for Saturday night, right? I don't understand the pink foam whales people are wearing on their heads, though.

Columbia's Senior Day preparations include balloons in the shape of the seniors' numbers. For some reason, the jerseys are also reversed. Perhaps that reflects Columbia's awareness that Princeton fans are likely to outnumber Columbia fans.

I love the faded shadow effect of the inlaid center court logo, though the giant trademark symbol detracts from the effect.

There is a young woman in a Harvard sweatshirt in the Princetonian section. Lost, related, or just trolling?

After a short disappearance, the Columbia band has marched into the gym. Bonus points for the violin.

Very sweet of the announcer to take the time to introduce each member of the color guard.

At halftime, Princeton is up 36-23, but the Tigers have underwhelmed against a Lions team that's in transition from Nixon's seniors to Glance's recruits. Blake Dietrick leads the Tigers with 11, while Tori Oliver leads the Lions with 10.

The Princeton fans have flags, but have mostly been quiet, except for the older gentleman next to us who's enjoying the game quite a bit.

Princeton turned up the defense in the second half, but they did not look like a team that could threaten in the NCAA tournament tonight, nor did they look like a team that's undefeated. Ominous for the road ahead.

The Tigers went deep into their bench in the second half, so we got to see a fair number of their reserves. Leslie Robinson was physical, as well as foul-prone (though in her defense, one of those calls was a very poor one). Vanessa Smith showed some pretty moves on the inside and facilitated the fast break. Taylor Williams played long stretches in the second half and couldn't quite take that next step in the post- lots of foul trouble, especially on the defensive end. Mariah Smith made some nice defensive plays.

I love, love, love the way Michelle Miller reads the ball off the rim on missed jumpers. She tracked long rebounds really well. Amanda Berntsen is super fast- she accelerated and attacked beautifully. Annie Tarakchian came through with threes at the right time and smashed a second half block so fierce that one of the Princetonians behind me was impelled to scream, "NOT IN MY HOUSE!" (I did have to remind him that this was, in fact, not his house.) She's sneaky good on the glass, too. Alex Wheatley had shots on the inside that she should have hit, but she was solid down low overall. Blake Dietrick was very impressive, showing speed and solid game management. I suspect she was in with the deep reserves to keep them from running up the score- Princeton was looking to keep scoring until the last few seconds, though they did run clock. I like her all-around game.

Princeton ran a motion offense that showed flashes of pure beauty, and was sticky on defense, switching between a tight man and a zone.

Jillian Borreson's brief appearance was at the end of the first half- I think Stephanie Glance was using her for a little height. Camille Zimmerman showed speed and mobility for a big player- the guy behind us (who I think was a youth coach) was really impressed with her. I question her ball security, though. Columbia got unremarkable minutes from their bench, for the most part- better than I would have expected from their record, but not statistically relevant.

Campbell Mobley got the start because it was Senior Day, and that's pretty much all we saw of her. Miwa Tachibana also didn't start the second half after starting the game- the tiny guard was hot from the field, but couldn't keep up with Princeton's speed. Sara Mead found ways to get to the line and was solid for the Lions. Amara Mbionwu hit the boards, but I don't know if she was looking to shoot, or if any shots she intended to take were off offensive rebounds that she never grabbed. Tori Olvier showed some fantastic moves and was the bright light for Columbia.

Actually, that's a pretty harsh assessment. The upperclassmen on this team, for the most part, are not up to the par of Princeton or Penn, or even Yale. The underclassmen, on the other hand, show a lot of potential and stood their ground against the Tigers. I'm looking forward to a resurgence in Manhattan.

Lousy, lousy refs. No game-changing calls, but lots of bad procedural calls and no-calls. I expect refs doing Ivy games to be able to count to two.

I think Princeton was looking ahead to Penn and to the tournament. In a year or two, Columbia will make them regret that kind of attitude.

Read More...

Summary only...

November 10th, 2013: San Francisco at Columbia

Just the Facts, Ma'am: USF held Columbia without a field goal for four minutes deep in the second half to pull away in an 83-69 win on the road. Rachel Howard led the Dons with 18 points, while Taj Winston added 17. Miwa Tachibana led the Lions with 13 points.

For fouls, missed shots, fouls, reusable paint, fouls, back support, and fouls, join your intrepid blogger after the whistle. I mean jump.

The epic tour of basketball continues at Columbia today, as the Game Notes of Doom hook up with San Francisco once more.

I think they replaced the seats at Levien. The place looks very shiny. Extremely well organized.

We have a band today! Yesssssssssssssss. Here's hoping they do Korobeiniki. However, the DJ's music selection could use some work. You can't be an academic school and play "Started From the Bottom" when a) you are still at the bottom, b) Cal did it way better than you will ever dream of doing it.

San Francisco fans, I appreciate your passion, but those plastic cowbells are technically against NCAA regulations, but then again, the Columbia fanatics brought them as well, so it all comes out in the wash. Yes, there are fans with face paint and painted shirts for Columbia. Mostly older gentlemen, so I'm glad they stuck to the shirts instead of the painted chests.

Beautiful anthem. I wonder if she sings opera as an extracurricular.

At halftime of a game that started as a slopfest, San Francisco is up three on Columbia. Rachel Howard had eight early, with Taj Winston adding six late from the line. Tori Oliver looks pretty tough for the Lions, but it's been Miwa Tachibana who's carried the load for Columbia, with 10.

Columbia has a fairly impressive souvenir stand, but I can't find the concession stand and I'm hungry. :( I'm also amused by the fact that they're blowing out the Adidas gear; the switch to Nike must have been very recent. No tiny souvenirs I could put on Moooose, though.

I was not expecting USF to have the moxie to make a defensive stand like they did in the fourth quarter of that game to hold off Columbia. I'd have to look at the final play-by-play to double-check it, but they went on a fairly substantial run to finish off the game, fueled both by offense and defense.

Aundrea Gordon seems to have shaken off whatever was bothering her shot at Fordham, because she brought the offense today. She was critical to regaining control of the game in the second half. Claudia Price needed to assert herself more- the coaches were yelling at her to shoot most of the time that she was in the game. She did well when she shot, so she needs to build on that. Hashima Carothers looked lost out there- fumbled a pass into her face, couldn't keep control of the ball, and generally seemed content to let the Columbia forwards muscle her out of position. My scorecard says that Alexa Hardick played, but I can't put my finger on anything that she did. Jamie Katuna committed stupid fouls- don't foul a three-point shooter! But she got the three back at the other end, so that worked out. Brief minutes for Bryn Stark, nothing to write home about.

Paige Spietz had a monster block in the first half, but her overreaching hands would be her downfall- she fouled out on a reach-in (more precisely, a reach-over) that any referee worth his salt is going to call as a foul, even if you manage to get all ball. She did all right on the boards, but was content to let loose balls go by her. Taylor Proctor got herself into foul trouble fairly early in both halves, which limited her effectiveness. She was also one of the Dons (Donnas? Doñas?) who had issues with getting easy looks to go down. Zhané Dikes didn't have much luck with the rim in the first half, but changing baskets seemed to change her luck a little bit. She drove without fear and took a couple of hard hits on both ends of the floor- at one point she all but did a somersault. Taj Winston came up big during the run at the end of the game, with a huge three and some critical shots, including a gorgeous breakaway lay-up on a deft steal. Rachel Howard brought the offense again, including a beautiful floater in the lane.

The ball movement was better this time around, but they're entirely too passive when it comes to loose balls. Fordham knocked away rebounds left and right, and so did Columbia. They've got to learn to move without the ball, as well. Can't just stand around and wait for the pass, especially when the passing is extremely sloppy.

Carolyn Gallagher and Ara Talkov both threw me off because they were wearing numbers that were not their number on the website, and then Columbia's announcer announced Gallagher as Carolyn Binder (which got really confusing when she committed a foul and Binder was sitting on four). Talkov looked lost in her minutes. Gallagher was able to provide some decent minutes in the post. Amara Mbionwu was brilliant in her few minutes, banging down low and getting good putbacks. She mostly played in the second half, which makes me wonder if she's recovering from an injury or if Stephanie Glance likes to use her as a secret weapon of sorts. Devon Roeper has an interesting release to her free throws, and still needs to work on her screens. Carolyn Binder gave decent minutes, and I'm not sure if some of those fouls were legit. I really can't remember anything that Kayla Patton did.

Miwa Tachibana is a woman who knows no fear. She's tiny, but she drives full on into the lane like no one's business. Courtney Bradford is a load down low, but her finishing could use a little work. I like the potential of Tori Oliver- there's something about her that reminds me of Le'Coe Willingham, though that might just be her build and her hair. Taylor Ward missed a lot of very makeable shots. It wasn't pretty. Sara Mead was not as memorable these hours later as I think she was during the game. I must remember not to schedule social engagements immediately after games.

I realize that there are new points of emphasis this year in the NCAA, and they're really trying to clamp down on incidental contact, but it got ridiculous in this game, on both sides. One of the guys in the front row called out, "So you've decided that everything that happens on the basketball court is a foul?" There was no real flow to the game- how could there be, with all the stoppages?

Quote of the game, after Miwa Tachibana's fourth or fifth foul, which came down low, from Stephanie Glance: "Are you serious? She's four-foot-two, how could she foul in there?"

Columbia just could not finish at the rim. San Francisco was not pressuring much, and they still couldn't convert on all the chances they got. Glance has a ways to go with her team on the basics, but I think she can get them back up to snuff.

So tomorrow (today?) I get a day off, and then it's back to the basketball!

Read More...

Summary only...

February 17th, 2012: Princeton at Columbia

Just the Facts, Ma'am: The Columbia Lions scored the first basket- then never led again as the Princeton Tigers rolled to an 86-46 win. Lauren Edwards led four Tigers in double figures with 13 points, while Niveen Rasheed narrowly missed a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds. Tyler Simpson was the only Lion in doubles with 10. Princeton dominated the boards 52-27, including 23 offensive rebounds.

For ennui, a distressing lack of dorkiness, a studied lack of Wizard of Oz puns, and lots of tapped-around rebounds, join your intrepid and tardy blogger after the jump.

I'm not sure, but I may be a masochist. This is my third venue in six days, with two more to come.

I've been curious about Princeton all year, but Princeton Junction is a fair piece away from where I live in Queens, and Hofstra played their home game against Princeton in the middle of the afternoon (as the Guest Notes of Doom can attest to). Their home visit to Columbia was the only shot I had to get a look at the Tigers

Of course, Columbia is a fair piece away from where I am in Queens too, so I only made it to my seat at tip. Columbia's band is not in attendance, which makes me a sad fan. No Korobeiniki for us tonight.

At half, Princeton is up 45-23, and it could easily be more if Princeton could hit their free throws. The Tigers' rebounding has been astonishing, and they've hit some ridiculously long threes- Lauren Edwards ended the half with one that was approximately from Princeton Junction.

The scary part is that Niveen Rasheed can't shoot straight tonight.

So it was the whipping we expected, but that's okay, because we didn't come to see a competitive game, and we didn't expect a competitive game. It's a little sad to see how far Columbia's fallen since they were contending with Judie Lomax, but these things come in cycles.

We got to see lots of bench players today- Princeton carries thirteen, all of whom played; Columbia carries seventeen, twelve of whom played. That's a lot of players.

Princeton's deep reserves seem to be three-point specialists. There were a lot of long shots being hoisted in the second half. Blake Dietrick looked like she was scoring for playing time- she came off the bench in the third wave and just kept firing away, even when the original plan was clearly to get it to the one player who hadn't yet scored. Jess Shivers never did get to score, but she got a couple of blocks and a rebound, and did nice work on the defensive end. Mariah Smith, wearing a different number than the one on the program, for reasons that even the Princeton folks next to us didn't understand (as she was apparently in the proper uniform the last time they wore the road orange) had a beautiful steal and fast break lay-up in the first half, but showed a disturbing propensity to commit stupid fouls. They were not the stupidest fouls on the floor, but they were not of the caliber that would be expected of an Ivy League student. Kristen Helmstetter got on the board late, but was working hard on the boards. It's actually a fairly safe assumption that if a player was wearing the orange and black, they were working hard on the boards. Megan Bowen was first off the bench and established herself as a defensive presence in the middle. Nicole Hung shows the signs of being able to run this offense when Princeton runs out of Laurens- good, solid player who stil needs some of the rough edges taken off her. She gambles a lot on defense; against a team like Columbia, it works, but against better teams, I'm not sure it will.

It's nice to have a big solid post in the middle who presents herself as a target when all the fancy passing is said and done. Devona Allgood was that player for the Tigers in the first half- at least two of her baskets were wide open and uncontested because the Columbia defense couldn't chase the ball around any longer. Niveen Rasheed handles better than I expected from someone who had previously been doing a lot of her play inside; I wonder if she's trying to transition to the three for a longer pro career. Lauren Edwards showed off her range a little bit and got things done when her team needed her to. Lauren Polansky ran the show, though the numbers won't show it because of all the offensive rebounding. Kate Miller was solid but unremarkable.

I suspect, though without adequate data or ways of finding that data, that a lot of the Princeton players also played volleyball. Their offensive rebounding, especially backtaps, was amazing. Their passing was also exceptionally crisp at times- sometimes they tried too hard and the extra pass got picked off, but they did a great job finding the open player.

Taylor Ball, breathe. Two fouls, and both of them rough fouls- the first an intentional after a steal by Polansky, the second a trip on Rasheed near the end of the game. It's only a basketball game. No need for all of that. Campbell Mobley reminds me a little of Kristen Mann around the eyes. I like her communication on the floor. Miwa Tachibana has the same dynamo energy as Sara Yee, who we used to call 'ten pounds of crazy in a five pound bag', though with a good bit less terrifying intensity. Nicole Santucci got things done in the second half- her batles with Rasheed were interesting. Amara Mbionwu reminds me a little of Judie Lomax in build- unfortunately, not in rebounding skill or shooting ability. Taylor Ward played good defense, helping set up a nice steal by Agata Jankova in the first half.

I love Tyler Simpson's defense! Hands everywhere! Agata Jankova had some passing issues, but otherwise had a solid game for the Lions. Melissa Shafer scored her points early, but then got in foul trouble and was pretty much a non-factor from the second quarter on. Courtney Bradford established herself well in the post in the second half, but got into foul trouble trying to deal with the Princeton posts. I was impressed with Jazmin Fuller, but I can't necessarily put my finger on statistically why, though that might be because it's been a while and I was a bit sleep deprived last night. She gave off a general sense of 'gets things done'.

The box score says that one of the officials in this game was Cynthia Brook, but she looked an awful lot like Denise Brooks, so either the GNoD's favorite ref has a sister, or someone screwed things up in the box score. I rather liked how the crew ran the game- crisp communication, everything clear and precise- but there were a lot of what our colleague Ray has referred to as “game management” calls. Columbia received the advantage on most fifty-fifty calls and a couple of other ones besides. Not that it made a difference in the game, but it was a good close-up look at how officials try to handle a game that's wildly unbalanced between two teams who don't necessarily like each other.

Columbia was almost actively dissuading students from going to this game. I'm not sure what to think about that. I mean, yes, it probably doesn't do a lot for school spirit to watch your team get crushed like bugs, but at the same time, you shouldn't be telling people not to go to games.

It might have been a bad sign that Roar-ee was out of uniform, wearing instead a referee's stripes. When even the mascot doesn't support you, you might have a problem.

It hurts to see how far Columbia's fallen since they were at least a middling team in the Ivy a couple of years ago. On the other hand, it's good to see the promise of Princeton, in both its stars and its freshmen waiting their turn- but how long will a coach as good and well-rounded as Courtney Banghart stay in a one-bid league, even if that league is the Ivy?

Read More...

Summary only...

February 12th, 2010: Princeton at Columbia

Comments are closed on this post- please direct any comments to the mirror post on Swish Appeal.

We went to Levien Gym figuring we had a chance to see the battle for the Ivy crown. It might only be February, but having seen Columbia play a lot of BCS schools tough, and hearing about Princeton's out-of-conference success, we figured this would show who was the cream of the crop. It did, but not in the way we were expecting.

Levien Gym is one of my favorite intimate arenas to visit for a game. Tickets are reasonably priced, the arena is comfortably sized, the cheerleaders and dance team aren't completely incompetent, and the band never ceases to come up with some novel way of amusing the crowd. (Tonight it was one of the band members miming the shapes of Tetris pieces while the band played the Tetris music. AWESOME. My nerdy heart goes boom.)

Excellent rendition of the anthem, too. We happened to be sitting next to a friend who goes to a lot of Columbia games, and she said that this was the first time this guy was lucky enough to get through the whole song without the mic going out on him. He deserved better than those previous occasions.

A friendly hello to our colleagues at SportsPage Magazine. I'm sure Tracy and Tara covered this game as professionally and thoroughly as they've covered many other women's basketball events.

Because the game turned out to be such a blowout, we got to see the deep ends of both benches. I'm not sure I like Krystal Hill cranking a three with seven seconds left in a twenty-point game when she had already scored and she had scoreless teammates out there with her. Laura Johnson did a good job keeping the pressure on Columbia while she spelled Polansky. Kate Miller also gave them good minutes as a freshman off the bench. Their seniors didn't play very much, which tells me the coach who's only been there for three years is recruiting far superior talent to what was there before.

I've been on the Addie Micir bandwagon since I saw her light up Penn a couple of years ago when she was just a freshman. She's still bringing it, but I think she's better suited to the Robin role that she can step into with a post like Niveen Rasheed around. Rasheed was... she completely dominated Columbia tonight. She's not afraid to mix it up, which is a critical element of success anywhere, but especially in the Ivy League, where having a banger makes a very big difference. She's also got good hands, which allowed her to tip a lot of balls- what I didn't realize until I got home and looked at the box score was that she led the team in assists tonight as well. Devona Allgood also took advantage of Columbia's weakness in the paint to pounce early- she and Rasheed were almost taking turns scoring for the Tigers. Polansky did a good job running the offense and keeping things on an even keel- she didn't look to score, but they didn't need her to score.

I like some of the freshmen- sorry, first-years- for Columbia. Tyler Simpson doesn't seem to be daunted by the transition from high school to Division I. And while announcers may not be thrilled at the prospect, I think we'll be seeing more of Bhavna Chadalavada in the next couple of years- I like her instinct to go towards the basket, though she could do with being a little less tentative about it. Do or do not; there is no try. Diana Lee plays like someone who was slightly taller than her classmates and was able to use her height to her advantage then. Unfortunately, she's only 5-6, and that style of play's not going to do anyone good at that size. Of course, my perspective may be skewed, because her first couple of plays were pretty boneheaded- a bad shot and a blatant hit on a Princeton player. Mary Beato canned one ridiculously long three that was well beyond the men's line, and she really was trying on defense, but she lacked a certain grace, or any grace at all. She was blowing her nose during most of the time she was on the bench, so perhaps that's a pass for her. I'm not quite sure what Caitlin Stachon's excuse was for not staying on her woman when the Tiger post players had been abusing Columbia, but whatever it was, it was unacceptable, and she didn't do enough on the offensive end to make up for it.

As beat-up and worn-down as the Columbia starters looked, perhaps Paul Nixon needs to go to his bench more often. Danielle Browne's got a brace and a hand wrap, Judie Lomax seems to be having hand problems... I'm wondering if this is why Columbia started off so well and then seemed to start running out of gas in the Ivy season. And it couldn't have helped that Kathleen Barry, who's one of the key parts of the Lions' offense, was out injured or sick. Melissa Shafer got the start for Barry, and I think she was in over her head a little. There were times she looked scared to shoot when she had good looks; there were times when she took shots she had no business attempting. She got dinged up a bit too- there was a stretch where she had to sit because she got scratched and they couldn't stop the blood. Lomax wasn't herself- she wasn't holding on to the ball when she got it, and she was taking far too many shots away from the basket. I've seen her a few times. She doesn’t have a jump shot. For some reason, tonight she thought she was an outside shooter. Though she got rebounds, she probably should have had more, or at least kept Rasheed from getting a double-double with stronger boxouts. Browne was really forcing things, especially in the second half. On the other hand, I was surprised that Lauren Dwyer didn't assert herself more, especially in Barry's absence. I recognize this probably had a lot to do with the physical post play of Princeton, but she's got a decent midrange shot. It says something about the way Columbia was playing that, arguably, their best rebounder on the night was Sara Yee- you might recall her from other Game Notes of Doom as the player fondly referred to as "Ten Pounds of Crazy in a Two Pound Bag" for her tenacity and 5-1 stature. But she was boxing out far taller and stronger players and fighting for loose balls like nobody's business. Her offensive choices left a bit to be desired.

Just as a general note, the Columbia players didn't look like they actually knew each other, or that basketball is played with the assistance of other people who are wearing clothes similarly colored to one's own. In mid-February, twenty games into the season, this is really not good.

I'm normally not one to blame the referees, and you can't blame officiating for a twenty-point margin, and I'll also admit that sitting behind the Columbia bench would have colored my opinion of any calls I didn't see. But it seemed like Columbia was being called for a lot of things that Princeton was getting away with, that Princeton fouls were not being called, (which led to fouls that were called on Columbia), and that loose balls were going to Princeton at an inordinate rate. It also seemed like one particular ref made most of the more inexplicable calls, a brown-haired woman with a tan. From the box score, I would guess that she was Michelle Ross. (She might have been Michele St. Pierre, but she didn't look French enough to carry a name like that off, and I am certain that she wasn't Kenneth Kelly.)

On the other hand, while I do love hearing fans get loud and involved in the game, not every call is going to go your way, and sometimes your team does commit the foul in the questionable play. Please stop complaining, especially if you're sitting in the row behind me.

This didn't seem like the same team that gave St. John's all kinds of trouble when they played in December. That's why they play the games, I know, but it's still jarring to see a team go from scrapping for every loose ball to not contesting lay-ups in the paint, from playing a BCS school within twelve points to going down twenty-five to an Ivy League team. I'd like to think it's just the grind of the season and the absence of Barry that made this game such an aberration for the Lions, and that they'll bounce back tomorrow night against the winless Quakers.

Read More...

Summary only...

December 4th, 2009: St. John's at Columbia

Comments closed here- please comment on the mirror post at Swish Appeal.

St. John's Red Storm 75, Columbia Lions 63

The Game Notes come prepared, receive compliments, and do not die of dysentery.


There are things fans should never be asked to do for the love of their teams. Brave the Lions' den, packed with hundreds of screaming children, is one of them. But I love my team, and it was too late to back out of things when I saw the throng of kids anyway.

I often forget how much I like Levien Gym. Especially when full or close to it, that model of homecourt is a very good size and style for the average women's basketball attendance in the NCAA. I was not, however, pleased with whoever had seated two rows of squalling private school students in the first two rows directly behind the St. John's bench. There's a wide aisle and a railing separating the bench and the seats, but it still seemed uncouth. Given that there were several rows of empty seats higher up in the section, I'll just assume that the ushers made an error.

Much love for the gentleman in the "Yale has died of dysentery" Oregon Trail shirt. GNoD approved!

The sound system kept cutting out while the anthem singer was attempting to perform; eventually, the sound people figured out that it was more effective to have her sing a capella and let the little kids back her up. It was kinda cool. Regrettably, many of the giggling, whispering, chattering children who were disrespecting the anthem appear to have been born in various barns. GNoD DISapproved.

Kelly, if the hair dye helps your shot, then go as Nancy Lieberman orangey-yellow tan with your hair as you like. It's good to see her with some of her old confidence, though there were two occasions where she hesitated and passed up a shot that she could and should have taken. Coco's really stepped up her game on the boards and in the post, though she's still prone to making enough incredibly boneheaded plays that I won't rename the Coco Hart Memorial Award For Epic Fail just yet. Eugeneia was a critical part of the press that so frustrated Columbia, and hit a couple of shots on broken plays. Because Columbia kept the game so close for most of the way, we couldn't go as deep into the bench as we would have liked with a road game coming up in two days.

I hope Nadirah's going to be okay- she twisted her ankle in the second half and didn't come back; she was limping pretty badly during timeouts. She got her pocket picked a few times, though- freshman jitters, I can deal with those. Shenneika really needs to work on her ballhandling- I'm stunned she was only called for one turnover, because she was in a lot of awkward situations. But she's so smooth. She's a joy to watch. Which reminds me... Yes, I know, I should be ashamed of myself for wordplay like that. Joy wasn't quite as scrappy as I'm used to, though she hit the deck for a couple of balls. Those graceful flying lay-ups weren't so effective, but gosh, am I looking forward to seeing her versus Chelsi Johnson on the 10th. Sky isn't a morning person- she spent a lot of time doing her best impression of a statue- but she got her offense going when we needed her to. Da'Shena still isn't where I expected her to be- I don't know if USA Basketball wrung her out or she's rusty, but her shot is off and she's not really bringing it well on defense. What, did Tiffany Hayes hire someone to put a curse on the BEast FOY award?

Cameo appearances by most of the Columbia reserves who saw time. I was surprised that Shafer didn't play more when they needed offense, or Stachon when they needed toughness and someone to free up their shooters. I think Nixon was counting on Mary "Lisa Leslie is my fashion role model" Beato to bring the offense, but she mostly just brought the fouls instead. Tyler Simpson was the first sub for the Lions, but she had no statistical presence.

It intrigues me that Columbia uses the standard names for every class but the youngest, who are first-years instead of freshmen. And it's not a gender thing, either, because the male first-year players in the joint program were also listed as first-year and not freshmen.

I honestly believe that one of the biggest reasons we won this game was that we hassled and frustrated and flummoxed Lauren Dwyer. Because she couldn't hit her shots when she even got them off, Columbia lost a major portion of their offense. And while Kathleen Barry and Danielle Browne did their part to pick up the slack- the former from jump shots, the latter from drives inside- they couldn't quite do it. I do like Barry, though- she's a very good player. If she bulks up a little, she might be a prospect next year. Browne's fearless. I don't know how many times she hit the floor, but it was a lot. Judie Lomax set the tone for the game for the Lions; when she was in, getting rebounds and cleaning up the trash, they were doing well, but she committed a couple of critical offensive fouls by not being able to stop, and she fouled out with about three minutes to go, which really screwed up Columbia's chances for a comeback. Sara Yee, one of the GNoD's favorite players, did a helluva job on defense, but got into trouble with the Red Storm press and committed two backcourt violations. Still love Ten Pounds of Crazy in a Two Pound Bag, though.

I'm not sure what game the refs were watching. It wasn't this one, though it had enough similarities to the one we were at that the fouls weren't too bad, but there were some odd calls.

Never let it be said that the GNoD come unprepared. I've been to Levien enough times that I expected to end up in the bleachers and brought seat cushions, figuring I could loan out the spares. I ended up in chairback seating, for which I was exceedingly grateful- but Sky's mom and sister were a few rows up in the bleachers. Nothing makes friends faster than offering seat cushions to people sitting on hard plastic bleachers.

Sky isn't my favorite Red Storm player, not by a long shot. But she's one of the most interesting and funniest people on the team. So after the game I was shooting the breeze with a friend of mine who's a Columbia STH, and we were sitting there a good long time, long enough that the teams drifted back into the gym. Sky came over to us and said to me that they saw me at all the games, that they really appreciated us coming out. Then she really got warmed up. "You're the only real fan we have," she says to me. She gestures a few seats over, where her mom and sister are still sitting there. "If I weren't playing, she wouldn't even be here."

(It's flattering, but not quite true. I don't leave the tri-state for road games, and I have to miss another home game because I am NOT paying MSG prices. But I guess I do stand out with my clipboard. It's such a useful prop, though: I keep stats on it, I beat out tempos with it, I disconcert free throw shooters with it, I hit myself in the head with it when my team commits stupid mistakes.)

What really saved the day for us was the press. We controlled Columbia's offense almost more than we did our own by keeping them trapped in the backcourt and forcing them to hurry up their offense once they did get it over the line. I consider that very promising, because I love a good press.

The kids might have made me crazy, but I wish the ones we get in with camps could be half as organized and purposefully loud as these. Great atmosphere. I still hate kids on general principles, but they did a good job.

Shout out to Tracy and Deb, who made me come home two hours late, but it was all worth it.

I'm not looking forward to the game against Carolina, but I'll take what I can get. GNoD approved!

Read More...

Summary only...

February 28th, 2009: Dartmouth at Columbia

Dartmouth Big Green 63, Columbia Lions 61

Run, assholes, run! The Ivy League provides the drama that the Big East lacked.


After due consideration, and with the nagging need to wash the foul taste out of my mouth after the mess at St. John's, we headed uptown, where Columbia was hosting Ivy-leading Dartmouth. Turned out to be a much more interesting game. As this was an Ivy League matchup, I'll attempt to keep my diction as elevated as the Ancient Eight would demand, and I beg your indulgence if I fall short.

Levien Gym may be my favorite "gym that is clearly not in a discrete building" facility in the area (as opposed to "gym that is clearly in a discrete building", such as Carnesecca or Mack, and "gym that might be in a discrete building, but I'm not sure", such as LIU's court). s court). It balances the necessity of being small with a lot of the amenities of a larger arena, and does so with great practicality. The pleasing shade of blue might also have something to do with it. It looks like they've done some work with Levien since the last time I was there. The video board pleases me, and the fact that Columbia makes use of it makes it even better. I don't think any other team I've seen has an animated intro quite like Columbia's, with Roar-ee's run to the gym.

Senior Night for Christina Gordon and Katrina Cragg was very touching. It's a bit harder to get blue roses than red and white ones, so they had to be satisfied with Columbia-blue ribbons around their bouquets.

Anthem was by a nervous-sounding member of the dance team who eventually got over her nerves and gave a very pretty rendition.

Signs you might be at an Ivy League sporting event: the band's repertoire includes the theme from the original Tetris. I really liked them, and their trick of "slow counting" the clock- it actually worked on one play!

So, Dartmouth. They all seem to have very similar long, lanky, physiques- length, not breadth, is the key. Brittney Smith dominated the offense in the first half, and while she still got hers in the second, the other two major players for the Big Green that night stepped up next to her. Margaret Smith (her older sister, in case you were wondering; I know I have since they visited St. John's last year) didn't contribute quite as much. Koren Schram was quiet in the first half, but her shooting got hot in the second. Combine that with Darcy Rose's knack for getting to the line, and Dartmouth ran away with the second half. McFee, their last starter, really got taken out of the game by foul trouble. It's funny- it felt like Dartmouth was having their way inside, scoring in the paint and controlling the interior game, but statistically, Columbia outrebounded the Big Green and outscored them in the paint. (Of course, since free throws don't technically count as points in the paint, the disparity becomes a little clearer.) Rose swings a mean pair of elbows. Actually, most of the Dartmouth players do, though that may be a function of long skinny arms being bent in defense of the ball. Their long-range game got them right back into things at the beginning of the second half- Columbia seemed calm with a twelve-point lead, then Dartmouth uncorked three threes to put them right back in range, and from there it was nip and tuck right up to the end.

I got the sense that only one of Columbia's seniors starts on a regular basis, judging from rotation and minute allocation. Gordon acquitted herself well in her start, and Danielle Browne, who she displaced, was a real spark off the bench- if she's not careful, Nixon might think that's a good idea for next season, a la Candice Wiggins for the Lynx or Becky Hammon in 2000 for the Liberty. Sara Yee remains two pounds of crazy persistence in a one-pound bag, the kind of player I have a very soft spot for, especially when they hit big shots. There's something I like about Lauren Dwyer, but I can't quite put my finger on it. I can see how Judie Lomax started out at a Pac-10 school- she's tough and fearless, with good instincts for the ball. I can see why she would choose to move down several notches on the athletic totem pole, setting aside the obvious advantages of a Columbia education over an Oregon State education: at 5'11", she wouldn't survive as a power forward in a BCS conference, she doesn't have the speed or consistent outside shot to transition to an offensive wing player, and at least in the one game I saw, didn’t seem very interested in playing defense. Caitlin Stachon seemed a little too interested in adding degrees of difficulty to simple shots, which became important when the game got tighter.

And the game got tight in a hurry. The refs helped. Sorry, but a cross-check at midcourt on a stationary defensive player is not a block. The last play of the game was one of the more egregious lack of calls, though. Columbia, down two points, missed a shot, and a scrum developed under the basket. Pretty clear foul on Dartmouth- Darcy Rose, I think. No whistle. Then, as the buzzer goes off, they whistle a foul... on Judie Lomax, adding insult to injury (since Columbia was already in the double penalty). The referees conferred, decided not to call the foul on Lomax, and then ran out of the arena as fast as they could, with the Columbia crowd booing, hissing, and yelling at them, and the Columbia band chanting "Run, assholes, run!" Cowards!

I think we were sitting behind family or friends of one of Columbia's assistants. That makes me somewhat more relieved that we threw in our lot with the Lions, then, though it would have been uncouth to do anything but when we were sitting five rows behind the Columbia bench.

Watch this space for pictures; they should be up by the end of the night.

Read More...

Summary only...

January 21st, 2008: Longwood at Columbia

The Lions show a whole lot of hustle, Columbia is quite clever when it comes to marketing, and there might be an Oedipal complex on the Longwood bench.


The more we thought about it, the more we realized we could do the bootleg day-night doubleheader, so after refueling at the Dallas BBQ, it was uptown on the 1 to Columbia, where the Lions played host to the Lancers of Longwood. Levien Gym was a lot of things that St. Francis was not: spacious, well-appointed, and generally having the appearance of someplace in which Division I sports were played. Like most places on an Ivy League campus, it was a bit tricky to find, but we did get there eventually.

The kid who did the anthem was adorable, but that doesn't mean she should be allowed to ever do that to strangers again. I was starting to yearn for the St. John's band, which is usually a sign that I'm running a fever.

Bleachers, for the most part, although there are some reserved seat-seats. Don't know how you get those- we wanted to be on the band side, on account of Ivy League bands tending to rule the universe in terms of geekery, and that was the bleacher-seated student section. We nudged over a bit from the seats that we were sold, because I'm not a big fan of staring down the endline and the photographer kept blocking my view. As for the band, I liked them better than most- the heavy drums were certainly an interesting change- but I'd still rank them below Rutgers and Princeton.

Longwood has a UConn alumna as their coach, Kristin Caruso- I'm wondering if she used to be Kris Lamb? Whatever the case may be, she clearly comes from Geno's tree, what with the overdramatics and theatrics. The mouthy assistants are a little much, and I'm really trying not to figure out if there's such a thing as an Oedipal complex in coaching, because the mouthy assistant was an Italian dude. They brought a very aggressive, attacking defense, and an equally aggressive offense that liked to bomb it from outside or bring it inside. Shooter Krystal Garrison impressed me tonight- she's only a freshman, and I think she's got a lot of potential- as did junior guard Courtney Dyer- that's someone who might have needed to step up in class to get the attention she deserved, but it's a little late now for a junior. Keiva Small did yeoman's work in the first half on Columbia shooter Michele Gage, and when she got in foul trouble, Columbia was able to get back into the game. I have a notation down for Cierra Baker's block, though I'm not sure if that was the one that almost went behind the stands or not.

Yes, signs you might be watching a mid-major: when the game ball damn near rolls out of the gym, they don't go grab another one, the game is delayed while the ref chases the ball down the corridor. A couple of blocks almost went out the door, no joke. In that sense, Livien really is a gym.

For Columbia, the problem was not necessarily on the floor, although they do need to work on communicating with each other and making their passes more accurate, as well as speeding up their offense a little bit. They were fierce on the boards, fierce and disruptive on defense, faster than your average mid-major, and they got their shots- they just couldn't get those shots to fall in the first half. It was brutal. There was more English on the shots going in than in the courses I took for four years. But unlike St. Francis- and even unlike St. John's on Saturday, they didn't give up. They never gave up. Even with the game decided with two seconds left, when Longwood inbounded, Dwyer took a swipe at the ball before stepping back as the buzzer sounded. That's the kind of fire that might have provided different results at St. John's and St. Francis. They absolutely turned it on in the second half- their inside game came alive, with Lauren Dwyer getting all eight of her points and Chelsea Frazier picking up ten of her thirteen in the second. I suspect that as goes Michele Gage, so go the Lions- she seems to be a pure streak shooter, and when she's on they have a legitimate inside-outside game, and when she's off they have a lot of bad passes. I loved the hustle on that team- the whole team, really, but especially Frazier and Danielle Browne.

Interesting thing about the Columbia program: it lists which specific college each player is going to. I guess they have to because of the whole Barnard thing. (And completely off-topic squee, this New York City public school kid is pleased as punch to see another New York City public school kid as the president of Barnard College.)

Tradition I would take from Columbia for the ultimate college experience: the tchochkes only come out whenever a Columbia player hits a three-pointer. Keeps the crowd excited in more ways than one and keeps the flow slow but steady. Also a brilliant idea: making a deal with the local Subway to sell sandwiches in the lobby, therefore guaranteeing food that doesn't suck and a decent take.

In conclusion: I'd go back to Columbia. St. Francis, not so much. Sorry, Brother Joe.

Read More...

Summary only...