PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Perri Page hit a game-tying layup with 1.4 seconds left in regulation and the Columbia women's basketball team outlasted Providence in overtime, 77-69, Friday night at Alumni Hall.
Columbia (2-0) was led by
Riley Weiss's career-high 25 points. The sophomore was 9-of-15 from the field and connected on 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. Senior
Kitty Henderson netted 18 points (8-14 FG) to go with game-highs of six assists and three steals. Page posted a double-double of 11 points and matched her career-high of 12 rebounds for a second straight outing.
"Tonight's game was a necessary wake-up call, but we gritted out a road win against a very experienced team," said Columbia head coach
Megan Griffith, who improved to 9-1 in her tenure against BIG EAST opponents. "I was proud that we executed down the stretch and played Columbia Basketball to close out the game. Providence took us out of our rhythm early and made us work deep into the clock defensively. This was a great learning lesson for our squad."
Page's game-tying shot was drawn up out of a timeout with 7.0 seconds on the clock. Weiss inbounded the ball to
Cecelia Collins, who waited for the play to develop and found Page all alone underneath the basket.
Providence (1-1) scored the first points of overtime but Columbia answered with a 7-0 run and controlled the rest of the extra period. Page hit a triple with under two minutes remaining which proved to be the exclamation point. The Friars were later called for an intentional foul that gave Columbia two free throws and the ball with 46 seconds left to seal it.
Grace Efosa led Providence with 18 points. She was joined in double figures by a trio of 11-point nights from Kylee Sheppard, Brynn Farrell and Marta Morales.
María Arrebola and
Riley Weiss combined for three straight treys to pull the Lions out of a five-point hole in the first quarter. Columbia ultimately connected on four of its final five 3-point attempts of the frame to lead 16-15.
The first quarter was a precursor for the rest of a game that saw nine ties and 20 lead changes. Providence called the first timeout of the night after the Lions started the second quarter with a 6-2 burst. They then went on a 10-2 run and held the Lions scoreless for more than five minutes to take their largest lead of the game, 30-24. Henderson ended the drought to help pull her team back within a bucket by halftime.
Henderson knocked down her lone triple of the night on the first possession of the second half to extend Columbia's run to 7-0 and retake the lead. Weiss scored Columbia's next seven points and had a highlight chase-down block late in the quarter as the back-and-forth battle continued.
Susie Rafiu connected inside with the quarter winding down to send the Lions to the fourth with a one-point lead.
Columbia scored all 12 of its fourth-quarter points in the paint, half of which came from Henderson. The senior from Australia hit a game-tying shot with 54 seconds left as the drama ensued. Providence earned two separate trips to the foul line but only hit 1-of-2 each time, setting up Page's game-tying shot at the end of regulation.
Columbia now returns to New York to prepare to take on eight-time reigning Atlantic Sun Tournament champion Florida Gulf Coast (0-1) on Monday at 7 p.m.
FOLLOW THE LIONS
For the latest on the Columbia women's basketball, follow @CULionsWBB on
Twitter,
Instagram and
Facebook, or on the web at
GoColumbiaLions.com.
