Down by two with 13.0 seconds to play, here’s how the Lions came out on top against Villanova! #RoarLionRoar // #EDGE // #OnllyHere @MarchMadnessWBB @IvyLeague @GoColumbiaLions pic.twitter.com/515PiHlWTs
— Columbia Women’s Basketball (@CULionsWBB) December 3, 2023
After giving up a buzzer-beating three to Florida at the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship the week prior, Columbia women’s basketball made sure lightning wouldn’t strike twice and used clutch plays on both end of the court over the last few seconds to defeat visiting Villanova, 77-75, Sunday afternoon.
The Wildcats (5-2) were up two with under 10 seconds in regulation when the Lions’ Cecelia Collins hit Abbey Hsu on a Pete Carril-inspired back-door cut. The senior hit the tying layup and was fouled by Villanova senior guard Bella Runyan.
Hsu calmly sank the go-ahead free throw, putting Columbia (5-4) up one with eight seconds left.
Following a Villanova timeout, which moved the ball to midcourt, the Wildcats looked to get the ball to its leading scorer, junior guard Lucy Olsen. But Hsu’s swarming defense made the visitors pivot to a pass to Runyan on the left baseline.
As the senior attacked the hoop for the game winning basket, Columbia’s Kitty Henderson stood her ground, blocked the shot and held onto the ball with three seconds remaining.
Henderson was fouled after the hosts took a timeout and sank the second of two free throws, giving Villanova one last chance to tie or win the game and the Lions a sense of déjà vu from their game against the Gators.
Unlike last week’s contest, the Wildcats had no timeouts left and had to drive the length of the floor.
Runyan found Olsen, but Hsu was right there to knock the ball out of her hand as time expired, sending the happy players, staff and 1,000-plus fans into a frenzy.
“On the defensive side, it was huge redemption for me from Florida a couple weeks ago, to take it personal, lock in and get a stop ” said Hsu in the post-game press conference.
The calendar read December 3, but everything about the game, including the postgame celebration at Levien Gymnasium, made it seem more like mid-March.
“Villanova’s a really good basketball team. I think they’re better than they were last year,” Columbia coach Megan Griffith said about a program that made it to the Sweet Sixteen in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. “I think you saw a really good college basketball game. Just a fun game to coach and a fun game to be in.”
The incredibly physical game was close throughout the 40 minutes with 13 lead changes and eight ties. It also featured star performances on both sides.
For the victorious Lions, Hsu finished with 22 points and nine rounds, while Henderson totaled 18 points, six rebounds, four assists and the game-saving block. Collins added 11 points, four rebounds and the game winning assist, and rookie Riley Weiss came off the bench to score 17 points on 5-for-7 shooting from three.
Boosted by their efforts on Sunday afternoon, Hsu was named Ivy League Player of the Week for the second time this year, and Weiss earned her first Rookie of the Week award.
On the other side, Olsen had a game-high 33 points, six assists and two steals, as she has made up for the loss of 2023 first team All-American Maddy Siegrist, who was in attendance for Sunday’s tilt. Runyon finished with a stat-stuffing line of eight points, rebounds and assists, and Christina Dalce, who came in averaging close to a double-double, finished with seven points, 14 rebounds and five blocks.
In such a closely matched contest, the biggest key turned out to be Columbia’s winning the battle of tempo. By creating a faster pace, the Lions were able to wear down the Wildcats starters just enough to take advantage of its deeper roster. In the end, the Columbia reserved outscored the Villanova bench by 26-9.
After the back-to-back loses to Georgia and Florida in the Bahamas, the Lions rebounded with impressive wins over Northeastern (88-45), Providence (77-52) and now Villanova. Adding its earlier win over Seton Hall, Columbia is now 3-0 over the Big East on the season.
Columbia will look to keep the momentum going into the finals break, as the team completes its five-game homestand with a Wednesday contest against Memphis (3-5) and Wagner (1-5).
While Megan Griffith’s Lions are not last year’s more experienced squad, this year’s group has plenty of star power, lots of depth and an ability to learn valuable lessons from earlier defeats.