Columbia hosts Fairfield, looks for first win of season

Columbia (0-7) will compete in its final home contest this year when it faces off against Fairfield (4-3) today.

In Columbia’s game against Monmouth on Sunday, the Lions went on a 7-0 run to start the game. However, by halftime Monmouth led 40-37. Eventually the Hawks prevailed 67-64 after a three-point attempt by Columbia freshman guard Taylor Ward—which had the potential to tie the game—rimmed out at the buzzer.

The game was Columbia’s closest thus far. Still, it’s just another loss.

“There comes a point in time in which you’ve got to win a game,” head coach Paul Nixon said. “Just playing people close is only going to work for so long.”

Senior co-captain Kathleen Barry, who recorded a season-high 18 points in the loss to Monmouth, has been one of the few bright spots in Columbia’s season thus far. Barry, who leads the team with 13.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, has been consistent for the entire season. However, for the Lions to get that first win against Fairfield, somebody else will have to step up.

Freshman forward Courtney Bradford has been a regular in the Lions’ rotation, averaging a shade over 16 minutes a game. Bradford had a breakout game of sorts against Monmouth, scoring a career-high 13 points and grabbing three rebounds in 20 minutes of play.

Junior guard Melissa Shafer, after going scoreless in her first two games, lit up the San Diego Torerros’ defense over Thanksgiving break with a 19-point showing. However, since that game Shafer has yet to have a second explosive performance, as she has averaged just three points in the past two matches against Wagner and Monmouth. Shafer will look to get back on track against Fairfield.

Fairfield is led by the tandem of Katelyn Linney, a sophomore guard, and Taryn Johnson, a junior forward. The two combine for nearly half of the team’s scoring output. Linney, a perimeter shooting guard, has connected on 21 of 43 of her three-point attempts this season and averages a team-high 13.9 points per game.

Linney is a spot-up shooter—she has attempted just eight free throws the entire season—who can heat up instantly. The guard scored 30 points against George Mason mid-November and followed up that contest with a 23-point performance against Cornell. The Lions will have to contain Linney if they hope to pull out the win.

Johnson, a 5’11” forward, serves as Fairfield’s main post presence. She leads the team with nine rebounds a game and also is second on the team with an 11.4 scoring average. She has recorded a team-high 11 blocks and 16 steals over seven games. Coach Nixon may elect to increase Bradford’s minutes this game to match up better with Johnson.

Fairfield is reeling from a two-game losing streak in which it lost 30-29 to Villanova and 89-73 at Hofstra. In those two games the opposing defenses limited the tandem of Linney and Johnson to an average of 18.5 points per game, which is seven below what the duo usually posts.

It will not be easy, but if the Lions can find a way to replicate what Villanova and Hofstra did, they just might end their last Levien showing this year with a win.

Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. in Levien Gymnasium.