The Columbia girls’s basketball group that took the ground within the second half wasn’t the identical because the one within the first two quarters.
The second-half Lions appeared just like the group that they had been all season.
They have been gritty, diving for free balls, forcing turnovers and making pictures.
Columbia, led by sophomore Riley Weiss, overcame a 13-point halftime deficit to beat Washington 63-60 on Thursday night time in Chapel Hill, N.C., and advance to the primary spherical.
It wasn’t fairly, nevertheless it didn’t need to be.
That is the month of survive and advance, and that’s what Columbia managed to do after falling quick in final yr’s First 4, which was their first NCAA Event look.
Thursday’s thriller was the Lions’ first NCAA Event win and units the stage for Columbia to play sixth-seeded West Virginia on Saturday.
Huskies guard Elle Ladine drilled a 3-pointer with 14 seconds left to trim the Lions’ result in one level.
Weiss then made two free throws for the win.
The Huskies’ final try was no good.
Columbia coach Megan Griffith’s message to her group earlier than the sport was to “dominate” all the things they did.
That message, although, didn’t appear to set in for her group till the second half.
Weiss scored 19 of her game-high 24 factors within the last two quarters to assist the Lions pull forward for good. Senior Kitty Henderson added 11 factors, seven rebounds, seven assists and 4 steals.
Washington settled into the sport effectively at the beginning whereas the Lions struggled.
Columbia missed its first 9 3-pointers earlier than Weiss drained the group’s first trey within the second quarter.
The Huskies often broke the press, feeding the ball forward of Dalayah Daniels, whose measurement and power offered some challenges for Columbia.
Daniels scored 11 of her 17 factors within the first half, serving to the Huskies to a 34-21 lead.
Columbia’s First 4 win over Washington. AP
Out of the locker room, the Lions’ sturdy defensive effort helped them slowly chip away on the deficit.
Weiss hit back-to-back 3s within the fourth quarter to offer the Lions their first lead of the sport.
The 2 groups exchanged blows for the rest of the sport, with neither group main by greater than 5 factors.
In the long run, although, the Lions managed to carry on.
The Lions, who earned their second consecutive at-large bid after developing quick within the Ivy League event championship sport, at the moment are 1-1 in NCAA Event video games.
