Columbia University
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Kansas State
5-3,0-0Big 12
Kansas State’s Three-Point Barrage Sinks Columbia in Cancun, 95-92
11/27/2025 5:58:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Weiss scores a season-high 30 in the first of three games at the Cancun Challenge
PUERTO AVENTURAS, Mexico – Kansas State needed a school-record 17 threes to overcome the Columbia women's basketball team, as the Lions fell in a shootout, 95-92, on Thursday afternoon. It was Columbia's first of three games in three days at the 2025 Cancun Challenge. The event is taking place at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya.
Columbia (3-3) led for nearly 28 minutes, using a 10-0 first-quarter run to seize control. The Lions would not trail again until a Taryn Sides triple to start the fourth quarter put the Wildcats (5-3) back in front, 72-71. The lead changed hands three times in the final period, with neither side trailing by more than four.
Despite leading by as many as 11 early on and scoring a season-high 92 points, Columbia could not run away from the Wildcats. Kansas State connected on 6-of-8 threes in the third quarter and 4-of-5 in the fourth quarter, going on to shoot 65.4 percent (17-26) from beyond the arc for the afternoon. Sides was the catalyst, scoring a career-high 30 points on a blazing 8-of-12 from 3-point land.
Weiss matched Sides with a season-high 30 points of her own. The junior from Hewlett, New York, was 11-for-25 shooting, 4-of-11 from deep and 4-of-5 at the foul line. She added four rebounds, three assists and three steals. Meanwhile, senior Susie Rafiu hit 7-of-10 from the field for a career-high 18 points, along with seven boards, two assists and two steals. Perri Page and Marija Avlijas added 15 points apiece. Avlijas was a perfect 3-of-3 from long range, recording a career-high in points to go with six assists and zero turnovers.
Columbia trailed 12-7 before rolling off a 10-0 first-quarter run to take their first lead. Weiss ignited it with back-to-back triples, followed by consecutive left-handed drives from junior Fliss Henderson.
The Lions extended the run to 18-2 to take their largest lead of the game, 25-14. Perri Page scored six straight, including an and-one lay-in, Rafiu came up with a steal and scored on the break to give the Lions their 11-point lead.
Columbia stayed in front for the entire second quarter despite Kansas State starting to heat up from downtown. First year Eirny Erinugha scored down low for her first collegiate basket at the 4:20 mark to make it 39-31. The Wildcats hit from deep to get within four, but the Lions scored the next six to go back on top by double figures. Rafiu and Weiss had 12 points apiece at the half with the Lions leading, 48-41.
The third quarter saw Columbia battling to respond to 3-pointer after 3-pointer from Kansas State. Each time Columbia tried to extend the lead, the Wildcats hit another corner triple to sit right on their heels. Weiss had 14 of Columbia's 23 third-quarter points to help weather the storm.
The 3-point barrage continued in the fourth. Sides splashed in the first six points with back-to-back triples to give her team its first lead since the midway point of the first quarter. Columbia answered with a triple by Avlijas and went back on top with three straight points from Henderson and Weiss. K-State would not stop, as Sides and Nastja Claessens hit two more threes to put the Wildcats up 85-81 with 3:00 to go.
The Lions kept battling until the very end. Mia Broom answered with a timely 3-pointer of her own to get Columbia back within one. Then, trailing 91-88 with 13 seconds left, Weiss was fouled on a 3-point attempt and had a chance to tie the game at the charity stripe. Unfortunately, she missed the first before hitting the second and third. Columbia was forced to foul and was never able to tie it back up. Weiss got off a half-court heave at the buzzer to force overtime that was off the mark.
The Lions continue the Cancun Challenge on Friday, taking on South Dakota State (5-1) at 1:30 p.m. The Jackrabbits fell to No. 12 North Carolina, 83-48, in Thursday's first game.
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