Friday, November 7
Indianapolis, Ind.
6:00 p.m.
Columbia University
at
Butler
Captains Perri Page (left), Riley Weiss (center) and Susie Rafiu (right)
Photo by: Columbia University Athletics / Stockton Photo, Inc.
Women’s Basketball Opens 2025-26 Season Friday Night at Butler
11/6/2025 6:52:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Lions on a two-game road trip in the Midwest
NEW YORK – The Columbia women's basketball team opens its 41st season with a two-game trip to the Midwest, taking on Butler in the season opener Friday night, followed by a matchup against the Ohio Bobcats on Sunday afternoon.
Columbia (0-0) at Butler (1-0)
Friday, November 7 – 6 p.m.
Hinkle Fieldhouse – Indianapolis, Indiana
ESPN+ | Live Stats | Tickets
Columbia (0-0) at Ohio (1-0)
Sunday, November 9 – Noon
Convocation Center – Athens, Ohio
ESPN+ | Live Stats | Tickets
WHAT TO KNOW:
OPENING TIPS
• The Lions posted a 24-7 overall record last season, which included their second straight at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and their first NCAA Tournament victory. On March 20, 2025, the Lions came back from 13 points down at halftime to defeat Washington, 63-60. Riley Weiss scored a game-high 24 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter to lead the comeback.
• Columbia is the three-time defending Ivy League Regular Season Champion. The Lions won their first outright championship last season, finishing alone in first at 13-1 in league play.
• Columbia has put together four straight 20-win seasons, going 25-7 in 2021-22, 28-6 with a run to the WNIT Championship Game in 2022-23, 23-7 with their first NCAA bid in 2023-24, followed by 24-7 with their first NCAA Tournament victory in 2024-25. Over that time, Columbia owns an overall record of 100-27 (.787).
• Junior Riley Weiss is the team's top returning scorer. She scored 553 points and averaged 17.8 per game last season, ranking top 10 in Columbia single-season history in both categories. Weiss also knocked down 96 triples last year, good for third-best in team history, with an 87.5% free throw percentage, which ranked second.
• Senior captains Susie Rafiu and Perri Page begin a quest to complete their collegiate careers with four straight Ivy League Championships. Both played in all 31 games last season, with Rafiu starting 31 and Page starting 18.
• Columbia is 9-2 against BIG EAST opponents in Megan Griffith's head-coaching era, including 4-1 on the road. The two losses have come by a combined four points. Last season, the Lions beat Providence on the road in overtime, 77-69, and fell by the slimmest of margins at Villanova, 68-67.
WATCH OUT FOR WEISS
• Riley Weiss has landed on preseason watch lists for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Women's National Player of the Year Award, presented by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), as well as the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award, presented by Her Hoop Stats. The recognitions come a year after she proved to be one of the most lethal 3-point shooters in the country, ranking No. 6 in the NCAA in 3-pointers per game (3.10), 10th in total threes (96) and No. 1 in the Ivy League in 3-point percentage (.376). Meanwhile, she scored 553 points and averaged 17.8 points per game. The Long Island native scored a career-high 34 points against Princeton to help Columbia earn its first season sweep over the Tigers since 2008. She also had a game-high 24 in the NCAA Tournament win over Washington, in which she scored a dramatic 4-point play in the fourth quarter and poured in 14 fourth-quarter points to lead a comeback from 13 points down. Her 2024-25 accolades also included being named First Team All-Ivy League, First Team All-Met, earning two National Player of the Week honors apiece from the USBWA and Associated Press, and being named Ivy League Player of the Week three times.
HUNTING A CHAMPIONSHIP SWEEP
• Senior captains Perri Page and Susie Rafiu are the only two active players with three Ivy League Regular Season Championships. The duo entered New York City together in the fall of 2022 and have combined to go 75-20 (.789) entering their seasons. As rookies, they were part of a 28-6 team that won Columbia's first Ivy title and became the first team in Ivy League history to make a run to the WNIT Championship Game. As sophomores, they went 23-7 and helped Columbia earn its first bid to the NCAA Tournament. Last year, they did one better, going 24-7 with a win over Washington in the First Four.
COACH OF THE YEAR REGULAR
• Megan Griffith was named to the preseason watch list for the Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year, presented by Her Hoop Stats. Last season, she was one of five finalists for the award.
• Griffith is a regular to Coach of the Year awards and watch lists. She is a three-time Ivy League Coach of the Year (2023-25), three-time Asian Coaches Association Coach of the Year (2022, 2024, 2025) and two-time Maggie Dixon Met Coach of the Year (2023, 2025). Last season, she was also one of 14 finalists for the WBCA NCAA Division I National Coach of the Year.
INTERNATIONAL LIONS
• According to research performed by NCAA member institution communication staffs, Columbia is one of just 12 programs in the country with nine or more international players on its roster. Of those schools, only Columbia, Washington State, South Florida and San Francisco have nine or more countries represented on their respective rosters. Columbia has two players from Spain, and one each from Australia, Canada, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Serbia and United Kingdom. Six of Columbia's 15 players are from the United States.
BIG EAST DOMINANCE
• With an overtime win over Providence (Nov. 8) and a narrow 68-67 loss at Villanova last season, Columbia won nine of its last 11 games against BIG EAST opponents, all of which have come in the Megan Griffith head-coaching era (2016-pres.). That includes a 4-0 record against Providence, 2-0 vs. Georgetown, 1-1 vs. Villanova and 2-1 vs. Seton Hall. The Lions earned their first BIG EAST win in program history when they defeated Providence in overtime, 66-64, on Dec. 7, 2016 in New York.
PRESEASON NUGGETS
• Columbia begins its 41st varsity season and 39th competing at the NCAA Div. I level as a member of the Ivy League. The program's first season competing as the Columbia-Barnard Athletic Consortium was 1984-85, followed by its first season competing in both the Ivy League and NCAA Div. I in 1986-87. The 2020-21 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Columbia returns nine of its 12 players from the 2024-25 season, including three of its five starters. The Lions return 62.9 percent of their scoring and 70.1 percent of their rebounding. Eight of the nine returners played in at least 20 of Columbia's 31 games last season.
• Kitty Henderson and Cecelia Collins are Columbia's biggest losses from last season. Both graduated last May. Henderson was a four-year member of the program, while Collins was a two-year member who transferred in as a junior from Bucknell. Last season, the duo combined for 825 points, 357 rebounds and a staggering 288 assists. Both were All-Ivy League selections.
• Columbia's top returning scorer is junior Riley Weiss. Last season, she scored 553 points and averaged 17.8 per game, ranking top 10 in Columbia single-season history in both categories. Weiss also knocked down 96 triples last year, good for third-best in team history, with an 87.5% free throw percentage, which ranked second.
• The Lions have five newcomers to the roster this year, welcoming four first-years and one junior transfer, Hilke Feldrappe, who played her first two collegiate seasons at Missouri.
OPPONENT INFORMATION
• Butler Game Preview
• Ohio Game Preview
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.
Columbia (0-0) at Butler (1-0)
Friday, November 7 – 6 p.m.
Hinkle Fieldhouse – Indianapolis, Indiana
ESPN+ | Live Stats | Tickets
Columbia (0-0) at Ohio (1-0)
Sunday, November 9 – Noon
Convocation Center – Athens, Ohio
ESPN+ | Live Stats | Tickets
WHAT TO KNOW:
OPENING TIPS
• The Lions posted a 24-7 overall record last season, which included their second straight at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and their first NCAA Tournament victory. On March 20, 2025, the Lions came back from 13 points down at halftime to defeat Washington, 63-60. Riley Weiss scored a game-high 24 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter to lead the comeback.
• Columbia is the three-time defending Ivy League Regular Season Champion. The Lions won their first outright championship last season, finishing alone in first at 13-1 in league play.
• Columbia has put together four straight 20-win seasons, going 25-7 in 2021-22, 28-6 with a run to the WNIT Championship Game in 2022-23, 23-7 with their first NCAA bid in 2023-24, followed by 24-7 with their first NCAA Tournament victory in 2024-25. Over that time, Columbia owns an overall record of 100-27 (.787).
• Junior Riley Weiss is the team's top returning scorer. She scored 553 points and averaged 17.8 per game last season, ranking top 10 in Columbia single-season history in both categories. Weiss also knocked down 96 triples last year, good for third-best in team history, with an 87.5% free throw percentage, which ranked second.
• Senior captains Susie Rafiu and Perri Page begin a quest to complete their collegiate careers with four straight Ivy League Championships. Both played in all 31 games last season, with Rafiu starting 31 and Page starting 18.
• Columbia is 9-2 against BIG EAST opponents in Megan Griffith's head-coaching era, including 4-1 on the road. The two losses have come by a combined four points. Last season, the Lions beat Providence on the road in overtime, 77-69, and fell by the slimmest of margins at Villanova, 68-67.
WATCH OUT FOR WEISS
• Riley Weiss has landed on preseason watch lists for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Women's National Player of the Year Award, presented by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), as well as the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award, presented by Her Hoop Stats. The recognitions come a year after she proved to be one of the most lethal 3-point shooters in the country, ranking No. 6 in the NCAA in 3-pointers per game (3.10), 10th in total threes (96) and No. 1 in the Ivy League in 3-point percentage (.376). Meanwhile, she scored 553 points and averaged 17.8 points per game. The Long Island native scored a career-high 34 points against Princeton to help Columbia earn its first season sweep over the Tigers since 2008. She also had a game-high 24 in the NCAA Tournament win over Washington, in which she scored a dramatic 4-point play in the fourth quarter and poured in 14 fourth-quarter points to lead a comeback from 13 points down. Her 2024-25 accolades also included being named First Team All-Ivy League, First Team All-Met, earning two National Player of the Week honors apiece from the USBWA and Associated Press, and being named Ivy League Player of the Week three times.
HUNTING A CHAMPIONSHIP SWEEP
• Senior captains Perri Page and Susie Rafiu are the only two active players with three Ivy League Regular Season Championships. The duo entered New York City together in the fall of 2022 and have combined to go 75-20 (.789) entering their seasons. As rookies, they were part of a 28-6 team that won Columbia's first Ivy title and became the first team in Ivy League history to make a run to the WNIT Championship Game. As sophomores, they went 23-7 and helped Columbia earn its first bid to the NCAA Tournament. Last year, they did one better, going 24-7 with a win over Washington in the First Four.
COACH OF THE YEAR REGULAR
• Megan Griffith was named to the preseason watch list for the Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year, presented by Her Hoop Stats. Last season, she was one of five finalists for the award.
• Griffith is a regular to Coach of the Year awards and watch lists. She is a three-time Ivy League Coach of the Year (2023-25), three-time Asian Coaches Association Coach of the Year (2022, 2024, 2025) and two-time Maggie Dixon Met Coach of the Year (2023, 2025). Last season, she was also one of 14 finalists for the WBCA NCAA Division I National Coach of the Year.
INTERNATIONAL LIONS
• According to research performed by NCAA member institution communication staffs, Columbia is one of just 12 programs in the country with nine or more international players on its roster. Of those schools, only Columbia, Washington State, South Florida and San Francisco have nine or more countries represented on their respective rosters. Columbia has two players from Spain, and one each from Australia, Canada, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Serbia and United Kingdom. Six of Columbia's 15 players are from the United States.
BIG EAST DOMINANCE
• With an overtime win over Providence (Nov. 8) and a narrow 68-67 loss at Villanova last season, Columbia won nine of its last 11 games against BIG EAST opponents, all of which have come in the Megan Griffith head-coaching era (2016-pres.). That includes a 4-0 record against Providence, 2-0 vs. Georgetown, 1-1 vs. Villanova and 2-1 vs. Seton Hall. The Lions earned their first BIG EAST win in program history when they defeated Providence in overtime, 66-64, on Dec. 7, 2016 in New York.
PRESEASON NUGGETS
• Columbia begins its 41st varsity season and 39th competing at the NCAA Div. I level as a member of the Ivy League. The program's first season competing as the Columbia-Barnard Athletic Consortium was 1984-85, followed by its first season competing in both the Ivy League and NCAA Div. I in 1986-87. The 2020-21 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Columbia returns nine of its 12 players from the 2024-25 season, including three of its five starters. The Lions return 62.9 percent of their scoring and 70.1 percent of their rebounding. Eight of the nine returners played in at least 20 of Columbia's 31 games last season.
• Kitty Henderson and Cecelia Collins are Columbia's biggest losses from last season. Both graduated last May. Henderson was a four-year member of the program, while Collins was a two-year member who transferred in as a junior from Bucknell. Last season, the duo combined for 825 points, 357 rebounds and a staggering 288 assists. Both were All-Ivy League selections.
• Columbia's top returning scorer is junior Riley Weiss. Last season, she scored 553 points and averaged 17.8 per game, ranking top 10 in Columbia single-season history in both categories. Weiss also knocked down 96 triples last year, good for third-best in team history, with an 87.5% free throw percentage, which ranked second.
• The Lions have five newcomers to the roster this year, welcoming four first-years and one junior transfer, Hilke Feldrappe, who played her first two collegiate seasons at Missouri.
OPPONENT INFORMATION
• Butler Game Preview
• Ohio Game Preview
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.
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/ Women's BasketballPostgame: WBB | Coach Griffith, Riley Weiss, and Susie Rafiu after Richmond
Saturday, November 15
Highlights: WBK | Columbia 67, Richmond 77
Saturday, November 15
Highlights: WBK | Columbia 92, Ohio 74
Sunday, November 09
Postgame: WBK | Page on Victory at Ohio
Sunday, November 09
