In the first half, Izzy Higginbottom was doing everything she could. She had 19 of the 34 points Arkansas scored. The Razorbacks took a 30 - 27 lead after an Ojenuwa free throw and Higginbottom's driving layup. But the Eagles went on a 6 - 2 run to take a 33 - 32 lead. Kiki Smith blew past her defender for a layup with 1:07 left in the half, giving Arkansas an advantage at intermission.
During the first quarter, having the ball in Izzy Higginbottom's hands was the best offense for Arkansas. She scored all the points since the last timeout with a layup and jumper to beat the shot-clock buzzer. But it wasn't enough to keep up with the Eagles. Boston College went up 16 - 10 on T'yana Todd's third three-pointer and a Teya Sidberry jumper. After Higginbottom trimmed the deficit to 16 - 12, the Eagles got a lucky bounce on a jumper by Savannah Samuel with 6 seconds left in the quarter. Higginbottom had 10 points, but Arkansas needed more scorers.
At halftime, Arkansas was down 34 - 33. Izzy Higginbottom continued to shine, making a tough jumper in the lane to put Arkansas ahead by 4 at the final media timeout of the game. She was up to 27 points and had been lights out from mid-range. Arkansas was on a 9 - 0 run and had its largest lead of the night.
In the third quarter, Boston College extended its lead to 53 - 48 on a Teya Sidberry. But Arkansas pulled within 51 - 48 on back-to-back three-pointers from Kiki Smith and Jada Bates. Arkansas was outrebounded 16 - 9 in the third quarter, including 10 offensive rebounds given up.
In the fourth quarter, Higginbottom will be at the stripe again after a timeout. She has a career-high 36 points. Boston College finally snapped its scoreless drought, but it still had no answer for Izzy Higginbottom. She has 34 points and is headed to the free-throw line right now. Arkansas is amid its best stretch of minutes yet this season, on a 14 - 0 run and Higginbottom has 32 points.
Izzy Higginbottom made a tough jumper in the lane to put Arkansas ahead by 4 at the final media timeout of the game. She is up to 27 points and has been lights out from mid-range tonight. Arkansas is on a 9 - 0 run and has its largest lead of the night.
Izzy Higginbottom is up to 25 points as Arkansas is amid a 7 - 0 run, capped by a Kiki Smith three-point play to take the lead. After the Eagles took a 49 - 42 lead on a Kaylah Ivey trey, their largest advantage since being up 8 early in the second quarter, Arkansas pulled within 51 - 48 on back-to-back three-pointers from Kiki Smith and Jada Bates.
Arkansas simply cannot stop Boston College right now. The Eagles have scored 13 points since the break and are 6 of 8 (75%) from the field since halftime. After the Eagles chased down a loose ball for an offensive rebound, Andrea Daley made a go-ahead jumper 19 seconds into the third quarter. Izzy Higginbottom gave Arkansas the lead back, 36 - 35, with a difficult jumper. Savannah Samuel and Daley made back-to-back layups to give Boston College a 39 - 36 lead before Vera Ojenuwa brought the deficit to 1 on a put-back jumper. Ojenuwa was fouled on the make but couldn't complete the three-point play. Daley extended the lead with a layup before Ojenuwa got another second-chance jumper. Boston College has since gone on a 5 - 0 run, which includes back-to-back layups by Dontavia Waggoner.
Carly Keats made a tough jumper off the bounce to beat the shot clock and pull Arkansas within 46 - 42. That was all the scoring since the last timeout. Boston College got 5 looks on their last trip down before Izzy Higginbottom finally cleared a rebound and was fouled. It will be the Razorbacks’ ball out of the timeout.
Starting lineups for the game were Arkansas (4 - 5): G Izzy Higginbottom, G Kiki Smith, G Carly Keats, F Jenna Lawrence, F Vera Ojenuwa; and Boston College (6 - 3): G Andrea Daley, G T’yana Todd, G Savannah Samuel, G Jakayla Thompson, F Nene Ndiaye.
Tonight's matchup features two teams looking to snap two-game losing streaks while helping out their conference in the SEC/ACC Challenge. Arkansas (4 - 5) enters on a two-game skid, having fallen to Oklahoma State (70 - 56) and Bowling Green (79 - 78) at the Daytona Beach (Fla.) Classic. The Razorbacks blew a 14 - point lead in the loss to Bowling Green. Boston College (6 - 3) also enters on a two-game losing streak, having lost twice in the Baha Mar Women’s Championship: to Ole Miss (92 - 55) and Oregon State (54 - 49). Arkansas will be without forward Danika Galea (concussion protocol) and guard Karley Johnson (undisclosed injury). Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. on SEC Network.
Columbia women's basketball alumna Abbey Hsu '24CC has been honored with a spot on the USA Basketball 3×3 Women’s AmeriCup Team. This announcement by USA Basketball on Thursday marks a significant milestone in her career. Alongside Maddy Siegrist, Azurá Stevens, and Brittney Sykes, Hsu is set to represent the USA in the 2024 FIBA 3×3 AmeriCup.
Hsu's journey to this prestigious team began with her selection to attend the USA Basketball 3×3 Women’s National Team development camp from November 8-10 in Phoenix. This camp served as a crucial stepping stone in her development as a 3×3 basketball player.
The 2024 USA 3×3 Women’s AmeriCup Team is a star-studded lineup featuring Abbey Hsu. Her presence on the team adds depth and talent to the USA's quest for victory. Maddy Siegrist, Azurá Stevens, and Brittney Sykes also bring their unique skills to the table, making this a formidable team.
The AmeriCup will take place in San Juan, Puerto Rico from December 12-15. The American women will face tough competition as they look to defend their 2023 title and add another gold medal to their collection. They tip off Pool A against the Dominican Republic on December 14 at 3:30 p.m. ET and Uruguay at 6:35 p.m. ET. Pool play will determine the top two teams from each of the four three-team pools, who will advance to the quarterfinals on December 15.
Hsu graduated from Columbia last May with an impressive 2,126 career points, making her the all-time leading scorer in Columbia basketball history. She was the first Columbia player to reach the 2,000-point plateau and the first in Ivy League women's basketball history since Harvard's Hana Peljto in 2004. Her ranking third on the Ivy League women's all-time scoring list is a testament to her scoring prowess.
Among her many other records, Hsu's two-time All-America Honorable Mention and 2023-24 Ivy League Player of the Year status is remarkable. She also holds the distinction of being the first in Ivy League women's history with 375 career 3-pointers.
Hsu was the 34th overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft and became the first draft pick in Columbia women's basketball history. She began her professional career with Basket Namur Capitale of the Belgian Women’s Basketball League team in August. Despite being the all-time scoring leader at Columbia, she elected not to attend training camp, but the Sun still hold her WNBA rights.
Different from 5-on-5 basketball, 3×3 is played on a half-court with a 10-minute game clock and a 12-second shot clock. Play is continuous, with teams "clearing" the ball behind the 2-point line after a made basket, defensive rebound, or steal. The first team to score 21 points via 1-point field goals or 2-pointers behind the arc is the winner, or if time expires, the leading team wins.
For the latest on the Columbia women’s basketball team and Abbey Hsu's journey, follow @CULionsWBB on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, or visit GoColumbiaLions.com.