Light Blue suffers tough defeat in Iowa

Women’s basketball had its lowest scoring game since 1996, falling to No. 15/16 ranked Iowa State (7-2) 73-27 on Sunday. The loss also marked Columbia’s largest margin of defeat since the 2001-2002 season.

The odds were always going to be against Columbia (0-9). Following their final home game of the season—a tough 50-46 loss to Fairfield—the Lions had just two days between games before making the trip to Iowa. Iowa State also lost on Friday, ensuring that the team, which also happens to be the highest ranked team Columbia has faced this season, would come out hungry for Sunday’s matchup.

For the first 10 minutes of the opening period, it appeared as if the short rest and strong opposition would not matter to the Lions, who started out strong. Behind three-pointers from freshman Taylor Ward and junior Melissa Shafer, the Lions grabbed a 9-4 lead with 14:38 left in the half. Shafer, who had struggled finding her mark the past three games, hit another trey with 12:08 remaining in the half to knot the game at 12-all.

After that, though, the Lions were swamped by the Cyclones’ zone. From the 12-minute mark until a minute before the end of the first half, the Lions had 16 possessions. Not once were they able to score any points during that stretch. Iowa State went on an 18-0 run before Shafer hit a pair of free throws with 25 seconds left in the half. After Iowa State’s Jessica Schroll split one of two free throws, the half ended with Iowa State up 31-14.

Throughout the season, the Lions have had a knack for making second-half comebacks to compensate for a poor first-half showing. This time, however, the situation only deteriorated.

Following a third three-pointer from Shafer to bring the score to 34-17, the Lions’ offense again stagnated. The Cyclones went on a 26-2 run over the next 10 minutes to take the game well out of reach for Columbia to mount a comeback. The Lions had a worse second half—getting outscored 42-13—to eventually fall 73-27.

Shafer led the Lions with 11 points, scoring eight of Columbia’s 14 first-half points. The Lions collectively shot just nine for 56 on the court.

Iowa State sustained a balanced offensive attack throughout the game. Sophomore center Anna Prins, listed at 6-foot-7, overpowered the Lions’ frontcourt, scoring a game-high 14 points—10 of them coming off of free throws—and grabbed 10 rebounds. Freshman forward Hallie Christofferson also played well, scoring 13 points for the Cyclones.

Following the loss, the Lions will take a two-week break from action before competing at the Pepsi Rainbow Wahine Invitational in Honolulu, Hawaii, from Dec. 28-30. There, Columbia will play Hawaii, UNLV, and Cal State Bakersfield.