Columbia Women Achieve Historic NCAA Tournament Victory Against Washington

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Riley Weiss would not let Columbia leave the NCAA Tournament empty-handed for a second consecutive year. The sophomore guard scored 14 of her 24 points in the fourth quarter, helping Columbia rally from a 13-point halftime deficit to defeat Washington 63-60 on March 20, 2025. This victory marks the first NCAA Tournament win in the history of Columbia women’s basketball.

The match coincided with the anniversary of Columbia’s inaugural March Madness appearance, where they were eliminated by Vanderbilt in the First Four last year. “This is something we’ve been working all year to do,” Weiss said. “After we get this win, we’ll celebrate a little bit, and then we’re onto the next thing. We’re focused on the next game.”

Cecelia Collins contributed 12 points for the Lions (24-6), who emerged victorious in the First Four matchup of 11-seeds. They are set to face sixth-seeded West Virginia on Saturday.

Columbia spent much of the game in pursuit, trailing until the fourth quarter when Weiss made a crucial impact. Her two free throws with 18 seconds remaining pushed the Lions ahead 61-57. Washington’s Elle Ladine answered back with a deep three-pointer to bring the game within one point. Weiss then sealed the game with another two free throws, making it 63-60 with 12 seconds left.

Washington (19-14) managed one last offensive play, but Ladine’s attempt from beyond the arc missed its target. Perri Page grabbed the rebound and was fouled with 1.7 seconds remaining but missed both free throws. With no timeouts left, Washington’s desperate full-court heave fell short, sparking jubilation among the Columbia bench.

In the pivotal fourth quarter, Weiss initiated a comeback by converting a four-point play and netting two additional three-pointers early on. The game was tied at 54 when Susie Rafiu’s layup gave Columbia its momentum, followed by a three-pointer from Marija Avlijas after a steal by Kitty Henderson, putting the Lions ahead 59-54.

Coach Megan Griffith, who has successfully transformed Columbia into an Ivy League contender, expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to lead the program. “I’m so grateful for just being given this opportunity to lead this program,” Griffith said. Under her guidance, Columbia has captured three straight regular-season Ivy League titles, including this year’s outright crown.

This marks Washington’s first NCAA appearance since 2017, when they reached the Sweet 16. Washington coach Tina Langley took responsibility for the defeat, stating, “The loss is mine, the game is on me. When they got some easy baskets, we were kind of stung by it.”

Sayvia Sellers led Washington with 21 points, while Dalayah Daniels contributed 17 points and 11 rebounds. Washington started strong, hitting nine of its first 12 shots to take a 19-6 lead, while Columbia struggled early on, missing their first nine three-point attempts and trailing 21-10 after the first quarter. By halftime, the Huskies extended their lead to 34-21, limiting Columbia to just 30% shooting in the first half.