Women's Basketball Battles Close with No. 12 North Carolina

Saturday, November 29

Cancun, Mexico

1:30 p.m.

Columbia University

4-4,0-0Ivy League

North Carolina

8-1,0-0ACC

North Carolina

Columbia

Photo by: Columbia University Athletics / Josh Wang

Women's Basketball Battles Close with No. 12 North Carolina

11/29/2025 5:55:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Highlights Postgame: Coach Griffith Game Book Photo Gallery

Weiss scores game-high 21, lands on All-Tournament Team

PUERTO AVENTURAS, Mexico – The Columbia women's basketball team went toe-to-toe with No. 12 North Carolina before the Tar Heels pulled away late, 80-63, on Saturday at the Cancun Challenge. The event is being hosted at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya.

Columbia (4-4) took a three-point lead late in the second quarter and battled the Tar Heels (8-1) to nine lead changes through the first half. The Lions continuously answered the bell in the third quarter, going shot-for-shot in a period in which UNC hit a 62.5 percent (10-16). Columbia trailed by just a bucket, 48-46, with less than two minutes until the fourth.

UNC scored nine of the final 12 points in the third to go up eight. The Tar Heels kept on hitting in the fourth, but the Lions hung tough, only trailing by 10 after a Perri Page basket with 6:22 to go.

Unfortunately, a 9-0 UNC run ensued that would make the deficit too much to overcome. The Lions called for time down 19 with 4:33 remaining. They outscored UNC from there, but the game was out of reach.

"These are great opportunities to show what we can do and be battle-tested nice and early," Columbia head coach Megan Griffith said afterwards. "We have to show what we can do in November every year.

"At the end of the day, I think we got better. Did we get the outcomes we wanted? Of course not. Sometimes that happens, but we played three really great teams that are really well coached. I think, for us, we just have to take the next step when we get back home."

The Lions went 1-2 at the Cancun Challenge. They narrowly fell to a hot-shooting Kansas State team, 95-92, on Thursday, bounced back to defeat a strong mid-major program in South Dakota State, 80-67, on Friday, and pushed UNC to the fourth on Saturday.

Riley Weiss continued an excellent showing in Cancun with a game-high 21 points against North Carolina. The junior from Hewlett, New York, was 4-of-9 from deep, including cashing in on another four-point play to tie the game at 24 in the second quarter. Weiss was named to the Cancun Challenge All-Tournament Team, averaging 27.3 points over the three games, shooting 48.3 percent from the field, 42.3 percent from deep (11-25) and hitting 13-of-15 (.867) at the charity stripe.

Senior co-captains Susie Rafiu and Perri Page combined for 24 points and 16 rebounds, pulling down eight boards apiece.

For North Carolina, Lanie Grant led the way with 19 points. Ciera Toomey had 18 on 8-of-9 from the field, Elina Aarnisalo had 15, Indya Navar had 11 and Nyla Harris rounded out five in double figures with 10. Navar added game-highs of six assists and six steals.

The Lions return home to New York to prepare for a road game at neighboring Manhattan University next Wednesday. Opening tip at Draddy Gymnasium is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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