The Lions lost their 16-point lead in the third quarter and will face Harvard again in the semifinals of Ivy Madness this weekend.

On Saturday, March 7, at Schiller Court, in what was both the Columbia women’s basketball team’s final regular season game and Senior Day, Harvard came back from a 16-point deficit in the third quarter to beat the Lions, 68-64, ending Columbia’s hopes of a fourth straight Ivy League regular season title. 

Columbia (20-7, 11-3 Ivy) entered the game hoping to win another conference championship, but Harvard (17-10, 10-4 Ivy) rallied behind their star guard Karlee White (Harvard ‘27) to take the win. 

Before the game started, senior co-captains Perri Page (CC ‘26) and Susie Rafiu (CC ‘26) were honored as part of the Senior Day celebrations. The duo have both been key players in the team’s success and helped the Lions get off to a great start in the game. Columbia opened the game on an 8-0 run with points from both Page and Rafiu. This carried them to a 14-8 lead going into the second quarter. 

The Lions continued their run with strong defense and quick offense in the second quarter. Page continued to lead the team, scoring points and forcing turnovers, which pulled Columbia into a double-digit lead. Marija Avlijas (CC ‘27) also banked a three right before the quarter ended, helping the Lions go into the third quarter with a strong lead of 35-22. 

Columbia continued to try to keep their lead up through the third quarter, but Harvard’s offense went on a run, scoring 29 points and tying the game. The Crimsons also worked well defensively, causing turnovers. The buzzer-beater layup from Harvard’s Olivia Jones (Harvard ‘29) heightened the stakes going into the fourth quarter. 

Early into the fourth quarter, Harvard took its first lead of the game and started to control the pace. The Lions continued to struggle with multiple turnovers, and Rafiu fouled out of the game only three minutes into the quarter. Struggling to close the point difference, Page hit two free throws in the last minute to bring Columbia within two points of Harvard, but a faulty turnover and Harvard’s free throws sealed the game at 68-64. Page finished the game with a career high-tying 25 points, eight rebounds, and three steals. In a postgame interview Columbia’s head coach Megan Griffith (CC’ 07)  said that “Perry had to damn near play a heroic game.”

Columbia is now the No. 2 seed going into the Ivy League Tournament this weekend (March 13-14). The Lions will face No. 3 Harvard again in the semifinal game on Friday, March 13, in Ithaca, New York, at 7:30 PM. The game will be available on ESPN+.

Image via Bwog Archives