Columbia’s Dominant Surge Secures Ivy League Victory Over Penn

PHILADELPHIA – The Columbia women’s basketball squad commenced its pursuit for a third consecutive Ivy League championship with a 74-59 triumph over Penn on Saturday afternoon at The Palestra.
 
Columbia (10-4, 1-0 Ivy) featured four athletes scoring in double digits, spearheaded by game-highs of 17 points and nine rebounds from Perri Page. The junior hailing from Pittsburgh netted 8-of-12 from the field and also recorded a game-best three steals. Eight of her points came during the fourth quarter to secure the win.
 
“Penn does a commendable job with rebounds, and for us to gain momentum, we must rebound,” Page stated after the game. “We needed to ensure we were crashing the boards and boxing out to minimize their second opportunities.”
 
The Lions surpassed the Quakers (9-5, 0-1 Ivy) in rebounds by 11, including 17-11 on the offensive side. Senior Kitty Henderson contributed eight boards alongside 11 points and a game-high six assists. Susie Rafiu recorded seven points and six rebounds, while Cecelia Collins and Riley Weiss added four rebounds each. Weiss also contributed 16 points.
 
For the Quakers, Simone Sawyer recorded a team-high 14 points, with Katie Collins collecting 10 points and nine rebounds. The Lions restricted the home side to 37 percent shooting while executing a fast break to a 10-0 lead in transition points.
 
Columbia started strong, scoring the first seven points of the game which led Penn head coach Mike McLaughlin to call an early timeout. They extended it to 9-0 with a bucket from Rafiu. The Quakers began the game 0-for-9 from the field before finally getting on the board after nearly five minutes.
 
The momentum continued with a three-point play by Marija Avlijas and consecutive triples from Weiss. Her second three-pointer widened the lead to 20-5 at the 2:04 mark.
 
“Our first quarter was a fantastic opening,” Columbia head coach Megan Griffith remarked. “It’s evident that we became a bit casual and relaxed in the second quarter. Penn is a highly capable offensive team with various threats, and they can effectively stretch the floor and play inside-out … When teams get on a 10-point scoring spree, it’s crucial to find a way to regain momentum … Overall, I’m pleased with our response in the second half. In conference matches, everyone knows each other well. It was a valuable first game for us to absorb a lot.”
 
Penn reduced the deficit to nine by the end of the first quarter and embarked on a 12-0 run between periods to narrow the margin to just two points, 22-20. The Lions pushed back ahead by six, only to have the Quakers finish the half on a 7-0 run, claiming a one-point lead by halftime.
 
Page, Avlijas, and Mia Broom each nailed a three-pointer in the first five minutes of the third quarter, putting the Lions back in front. After scoring merely six points in the second quarter, they shot 50 percent in the third, scoring 21 and heading into the fourth with a five-point lead.
 
Once more, the three-pointer was sinking early in the fourth as Henderson and Avlijas made two in just 28 seconds to suddenly put Columbia ahead by 12. Penn called for a timeout to halt the momentum but never came closer than seven for the rest of the contest.
 
Columbia will head to Cornell (4-10, 0-1 Ivy) for its second Ivy League matchup next Saturday. The opening tip-off at Newman Arena in Ithaca is set for 1 p.m.
 
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