After a stunning first March Madness win against Washington, Women’s Basketball falls short against West Virginia on Saturday.


Highlights: 

In a historic win, Columbia Women’s Basketball took down Washington 63-60 in the NCAA March Madness First Four game. Sophomore Riley Weiss (CC ‘27) scored a game high of 24 points, helping to cement the Lions’ win in a tense and exciting game. After trailing for the majority of the first half, the Lions used halftime to reset and come back stronger than ever. In their typical fashion, senior duo Cecelia Collins (CC ‘25) and Kitty Henderson (CC ‘25) put up great numbers across the board, scoring 12 and 11 points, respectively. Henderson also put up seven assists, seven rebounds, and four exciting steals. 

Columbia overcame a 13-point deficit coming into the second half, with Henderson taking the game by storm and cutting the deficit down to just six points. The Lions pushed forward, trailing by five at the start of the fourth quarter. Weiss scored an impressive three pointer and gained a foul, bringing Washington’s lead down to one, and adding to her total of 14 points in the quarter. This run propelled the Lions toward their first lead of the game at 47-45 with just under eight minutes left. In a tense final five minutes, the Lions and Washington Huskies went back and forth before junior Susie Rafiu (CC ‘26) solidified the Lions’ lead, adding to her six total points. Marija Avlijas (CC ‘27) impacted the game with her shot from beyond the arc to add to the Lions’ narrow lead. In the final minute, Weiss drained two threes to which the Huskies responded with a three of their own. To secure the win once and for all, Weiss buried another shot, bringing the final score to 63-60. 

This game allowed the Lions to advance to the First Round, where they took on the No. 6 seed West Virginia. Although the Lions fought hard, battling through a 22-point deficit, the team fell short, with the final score resting at 59-78. This was a historic season for the Lions, with the charge being led by seniors Kitty Henderson and Cecilia Collins. Henderson broke head coach Megan Griffith (CC ‘07)’s single season assist record of 148 with a tally of 150 assists. This contributes to her total of 494 career assists, the most in Columbia’s history, and No. 7 in Ivy League history. 

Upcoming Events: 

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

  • Men’s Swimming and Diving vs. NCAA Championships, all day – Federal Way, Washington 
  • Women’s Tennis vs. Denver, 1 pm – New York, New York
  • Baseball vs. Manhattan, 3:30 pm – New York, New York
  • Softball vs. Albany, 4 pm – New York, New York 

Thursday, March 27, 2025 

  • Men’s Swimming and Diving vs. NCAA Championships, all day – Federal Way, Washington 
  • Track and Field at Raleigh Relays, 4 pm – Raleigh, North Carolina

Friday, March 28, 2025 

  • Men’s Swimming and Diving vs. NCAA Championships, all day – Federal Way, Washington 
  • Track and Field at Raleigh Relays, 4 pm – Raleigh, North Carolina
  • Women’s Golf vs. More Than Golf Invitational, all day – Aiken, South Carolina

Saturday, March 29, 2025 

  • Men’s Swimming and Diving vs. NCAA Championships, all day – Federal Way, Washington 
  • Track and Field at Raleigh Relays, 4 pm – Raleigh, North Carolina 
  • Women’s Golf vs. More Than Golf Invitational, all day – Aiken, South Carolina 
  • Lightweight Rowing at National Collegiate Lightweight Invite, all day – Princeton, New Jersey 
  • Track and Field at Monmouth Season Opener, 10 am – West Long Branch, New Jersey 
  • Baseball vs. Princeton, 11:30 am – Princeton, New Jersey 
  • Women’s Tennis vs. Cornell, 12 pm – Ithaca, New York 
  • Softball vs. Harvard, 12:30 pm – Cambridge, Massachusetts 
  • Men’s Tennis vs. Cornell, 1 pm – New York, New York
  • Lacrosse vs. Penn, 1 pm – New York, New York
  • Softball vs. Harvard, 3 pm – Cambridge, Massachusetts
  • Baseball vs. Princeton, 3:30 pm – Princeton, New Jersey 

Sunday, March 30, 2025 

  • Women’s Golf vs. More Than Golf Invitational, all day – Aiken, South Carolina
  • Lightweight Rowing at National Collegiate Lightweight Invite, all day – Princeton, New Jersey 
  • Baseball vs. Princeton, 12 pm – Princeton, New Jersey 
  • Softball vs. Harvard, 12:30 pm – Cambridge, Massachusetts

Monday, March 31, 2025 

  • Men’s Golf vs. Columbia Spring Invitational, all day – Springfield, Pennsylvania

*Bold indicates home event

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