On Saturday, November 15, the CU Women’s Basketball Team played their home opener against the University of Richmond, ultimately losing 67-77.

On Saturday night, Levien Gym opened its doors to the Columbia Women’s Basketball team’s home opener against the University of Richmond. While the team ultimately lost the game 67-77, various athletes stood out as promising stars for the season. 

Before the game began, a video played highlighting the wins of the team last year. The 2024-2025 season was the team’s third straight Ivy League Championship. Additionally, it was the first time in program history that the Lions appeared in March Madness, through an at-large bid, which is essentially an invite to compete in the tournament despite not winning their conference title. A banner was then raised in the gym to commemorate the triple Ivy win. 

The starting lineup consisted of Susie Rafiu (CC ‘26), Perri Page (CC ‘26), Fliss Henderson (CC ‘27), Marija Avlijas (CC ‘27), and Riley Weiss (CC ‘27). Both teams were off to a slow start, with the first basket being scored by Rafiu at 3:12. Richmond followed with their first basket being scored by Alicia Newell at 4:32. The first quarter ended 13-10 for Columbia. However, Richmond took the lead in the second quarter, ending the first half with a lead of 32-25. They maintained their lead throughout the game, ending the third quarter with a 55-44, finally winning the game 77-67. 

While this was a disappointing way to start the season at home, individual players performed well, showcasing the skills present on the team this year. Weiss led the team with a total of 16 points, followed by Page at 15, and Rafiu and Mia Broom (CC ’28) close behind, with 14 points each. Rafiu ended with a double-double, having 14 points and 10 rebounds. 

The game began with the audience showing some pretty intense energy and support, including us—both teams were neck-and-neck until around the third quarter, so we were pretty absorbed and reactive to every basket. By the end of the game, you could sense the disappointment in the crowd, but everyone stayed to cheer the Lions on!

The Lions’ next home game will be vs. Saint Joseph’s, on November 20th at Levien Gymnasium at 11 am. Be sure to come out and support!

Coverage by Amira Bhore, Amairha Pokala, and Eira Prakash

Image via Amairha Pokala