After the magic of the three-bid Ivy last season, Columbia, alongside Harvard, had work to do in conference play after good-but-not-great nonconference campaigns.
Entering Ivy play in Charlie Creme’s Next Four Out, the Lions now likely can wave the dream of an at-large bid goodbye after going down in the second quarter before Cornell pulled ahead for good late in the third en route to a 67–60 upset.
Despite playing in the friendly confines of Levien Gym, the Lions (9-5, 0-1 Ivy) just couldn’t find an offensive rhythm. Senior forward/guard Perri Page led the way with 24 points, and junior guard Fliss Henderson had a strong game with 16 rebounds. But critically, Columbia had zero bench points and junior guard Riley Weiss had her worst shooting performance of the season, making just one field goal.
Senior forward Emily Pape led the way for the Big Red (5-8, 1-0) with 19 points, with junior guard/forward Rachel Kaus adding 15 points and three offensive rebounds.