The energy was palpable as the Princeton Tigers and Columbia Lions warmed up in the Jadwin Gymnasium. With the historic rivalry between the two Ivy League teams, this game was shaping up to be competitive. After 40 minutes of hard-fought basketball, the Lions wound up on top yet again.
For the second time this season, Princeton (18–6 overall, 9–2 Ivy League) fell to Columbia (19–5, 10–1) 64–60 this past Saturday on Princeton’s alumni day. Princeton held the active national record for the most consecutive games won on a home court — 30 games — until this contest.
The Lions started the quarter with a dominant offensive run, winning the tipoff and converting the possession to two quick points. Columbia sophomore guard Riley Weiss scored a pair of threes early on, creating an eight-point differential in only two and a half minutes. Almost immediately, the score was 10–2 Columbia.
Post-timeout, the Tigers got into their rhythm. Sophomore guard Fadima Tall hit a three, then sophomore guard Skye Belker fought through some contact to get two for the Tigers. Continuing their momentum, the Tigers found a way to claw back, trailing the Lions 15–13 at the end of the quarter.
“Having the people here was very encouraging,” Tall told The Daily Princetonian. “And then you have Ellie Mitchell ’24 and Julia Cunningham ’23 on the sidelines, it’s always nice to have them here,” she added.
It was Tigers’ ball to start the second quarter, but Columbia quickly stole it back. The Lions were relentless, pursuing a full-court press the entire game. This defense translated to offense, helping them maintain momentum.
“When you turn the ball over, they’re going to execute down the other end, they’re going to make you pay for those turnovers or missed shots,” Head Coach Carla Berube told the ‘Prince.’ “They got the ball to their best player, Weiss that is, and it is tough to stop her when she is hot,” Berube continued.
The Tigers were able to tie the game 17–17, and Tall gave them the lead around five minutes left in the half with another three, but Columbia always seemed to have an answer.
Weiss connected for two late in the half to take it back for Columbia. After some scrappy buckets from the Tigers, the deficit was cut to three, down 27–24 going into halftime.
In the third quarter, the Tigers commanded the floor. Sophomore guard Ashley Chea opened the period with a tough two-point bucket, then hit both her free throws off of a Columbia foul, letting the Tigers take the lead 28–27. Soon after, she nailed a three from behind the arc.
With five minutes left in the third, Columbia senior guard Cecelia Collins scored a three-pointer, but Belker answered. The teams were feeding off of the energy in the building. By the end of the third quarter, Princeton accumulated a six point lead, going into the final quarter ahead 44–38.
The Lions quickly tied the game, thanks to two quick threes in the opening minutes of the fourth. Columbia then continued this offensive run with a combination of free throws and Weiss’s strong offensive presence.
With 18 seconds remaining in the game, Columbia senior guard Kitty Henderson stepped up and drained a three, giving the Lions a five-point lead. The Tigers continued to fight, taking their final timeout with 18 seconds left to draw up their last play. Tall was able to give them a glimmer of hope when she drained a Hail Mary three and was fouled.
“I heard my teammates and coaches on the sideline saying ‘miss it, miss it,’ but I’m thinking, well, I have never purposely missed something before,” Tall told the ‘Prince.’
She did purposely miss the free throw in hopes of a Princeton teammate rebound and putback, but the attempt was unsuccessful. With no other options to score, the Tigers fouled Weiss, who made both her free throws to end the game with a score of 64–60.
With their second loss to Columbia, the Tigers’ path to an at-large berth in March Madness for the Ivy League narrows considerably. With a lack of wins against top-level teams, the Tigers were already on the bubble, considered one of the last teams with a shot at the tournament. Losing to Columbia for a second time likely puts their bubble chances to bed, meaning the Tigers will almost certainly need to win the Ivy League Tournament to qualify.
The Tigers look to bounce back and gain momentum for the upcoming tournament with a game on Friday against Harvard (20–3 overall, 9–2 Ivy League) to continue Ivy League regular-season play.
Emilia Reay is a Sports contributor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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