The Columbia Lions face off against the Norfolk State Spartans in the first round of the CIT tournament at Francis S. Levien Gymnasium. Action starts at 7:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Mar. 16.
The Lions are expecting a different result after their 71-55 loss to Yale in their last matchup. Maodo Lo was the team’s high scorer with 21 points. The Spartans, meanwhile, are coming off a tough 67-65 loss to South Carolina State in the 3 of the Mid-Eastern tournament. Jordan Butler played well for Norfolk State, recording 14 points, five rebounds, and two blocks
The Lions have gone 21-10 Straight Up (SU) and 10-11-1 Against The Spread (ATS). The Lions are a phenomenal three-point shooting team with 9.0 made per game, one of the highest marks in Division I. The Lions, sporting the 43rd-best assist-to-turnover ratio in Division I (1.34), have proven themselves to be an extremely efficient offensive team. Norfolk State has a habit of getting in foul trouble (21.6 fouls per game), so expect the Lions to get a number of opportunities from the free throw line.
Over on the other bench, Norfolk State has a SU record of 17-16 and an ATS record of 4-6. Norfolk State is one of the top foul-shooting teams in the nation, making .775 of their shots from the line.
This game marks the first time Columbia and Norfolk State have played one another in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – Colum, ATS Winner – Colum
Notes
“Columbia is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games at home”.
“Columbia is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games “.
Norfolk State lost its last game by a two-point margin. In games decided by a margin of three points or less, Columbia is 3-4. Norfolk State is 0-3 in close games this season.
The Columbia Lions have a defensive rating of 103.0 (ranked 90th), while the Norfolk State Spartans have an offensive rating of 108.1 (ranked 120th).
The Columbia Lions average a field goal percentage of 45.4% this season. The Norfolk State Spartans are a winless 0-11 when opponents have a FG% of 45.4% or greater.
The Columbia Lions and the Norfolk State Spartans both rank higher in average effective field goal percentage when compared to their field goal percentages. Columbia is 108th and 38th in the nation for FG% and eFG% respectively, while Norfolk State is 250th and 227th in these categories.
Columbia ranks 94th in assists, registering 14.5 per game. Norfolk State performs worse at 265th with 12.2 assists per game.
Norfolk State, the 24th-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 5.2 per game. Columbia ranks lower at 172nd with 3.4.
On average, Norfolk State forces a turnover rate of 19.6%. When Columbia turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a superb 7-2 record.
