Columbia women’s basketball secured its 20th win of the season after a close 59-56 victory over Brown at the Pizzitola Sports Center on Saturday night. The team, now with a 20-6 overall record and 11-2 in Ivy League play, overcame a five-point deficit early in the fourth quarter.
The Lions regained momentum with a 9-0 run, highlighted by Marija Avlijas’s three-pointer and Riley Weiss’s three-point play. Weiss later added another three-pointer in transition to give Columbia a four-point lead.
Brown managed to tie the game twice late in the contest. With just over two minutes left, Alyssa Moreland hit one of two free throws to even the score. Columbia responded as Perri Page converted a key three-point play after receiving an assist from Mia Broom, putting the Lions ahead for good.
In the final seconds, Brown had an opportunity to take the lead following a Columbia turnover but was called for a five-second violation while inbounding. Weiss then made two free throws to secure the win before Columbia intercepted Brown’s last pass.
“It was all about defensive execution at the end of that game,” Lavine Family Head Coach of Women’s Basketball Megan Griffith ’07CC said. “I was really proud of our team for locking in on the play that mattered the most and forgetting about the rest of that game. You’ve just got to be what’s in front of you in that moment. Credit to [Brown], but I thought Perri and Susie were excellent down the stretch for us.”
With this result, Columbia has reached at least 20 wins for five consecutive seasons and remains first in the Ivy League standings heading into their regular-season finale against Harvard next Saturday. A victory against Harvard would guarantee them at least a share of their fourth straight league title and secure them as top seed for this year’s Ivy League Tournament.
Page contributed 13 points, led all players with 10 rebounds, recorded four steals, and made both assists and free throws without missing (7-for-7). This marked her fifth double-double this season. Weiss led Columbia scorers with 19 points and was perfect from the foul line (5-for-5).
For Brown, Grace Arnolie finished with a game-high 20 points but struggled from long range. Moreland added 11 points and nine rebounds.
Turnovers played a significant role: Brown scored 29 points off Columbia’s 26 turnovers but committed 22 turnovers themselves, which Columbia turned into 20 points.
Columbia will conclude its regular season next Saturday at Levien Gymnasium against Harvard at 2 p.m., where Senior Day celebrations are planned for Perri Page and Susie Rafiu before tipoff.