Women's Basketball Thrashes Wagner Behind Henderson’s Career Day

Saturday, December 6

New York, N.Y.

2:00 p.m.

Columbia University

6-4,0-0Ivy League

Wagner

2-6,0-0NEC

Wagner

Columbia

Photo by: Columbia University Athletics / Josh Wang

Women's Basketball Thrashes Wagner Behind Henderson’s Career Day

12/6/2025 5:25:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Highlights Henderson Postgame Interview Game Book Photo Gallery

Lions shoot over 61 percent in 40-point win

NEW YORK – The Columbia women's basketball team picked up another dominant victory against a New York City opponent, dismantling Wagner, 82-42, Saturday afternoon from Schiller Court at Levien Gymnasium.

Fliss Henderson had herself a day, scoring a career-high 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting with a side of eight rebounds and six assists. Riley Weiss led in scoring with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting, netting 10 of those points in the second quarter. Susie Rafiu was the third Lion in double-figures, putting up 12 points, four rebounds and four assists. Thirteen of Columbia's 15 players found the scoring column.

The Lions came away with 16 steals to help force 24 Wagner turnovers. They ended the game with a 27-9 advantage in points off turnovers, as well as a 50-28 thumping in paint points, 17-5 in fast-break scoring and 24-8 in bench points.

"Defense sparks offense every single possession," Henderson told Lance Medow in her postgame interview on ESPN+. "Locking in on defense, you don't even think about offense, it just happens, it just comes. I feel like that's exactly what happened today … As soon as we could lock in defensively, we were gone, we were out, and just scoring easy buckets."

The Lions connected at a season-high 61.1-percent clip from the field, marking their best shooting game since an 88-45 victory over Northeastern on Nov. 25, 2023. It's also the seventh-best game in terms of field goal percentage in program history.

Columbia (6-4) shot 66.7 percent (10-of-15) in a fast-paced first quarter. Rafiu and Henderson combined for 12 of the Lions' first 14 points as they took an eight-point lead. Wagner (2-6) rallied to get back within one, but Columbia put together another stretch of good basketball, ultimately assisting nine of their 10 made baskets in the period to enter the second up 25-17.

The Lions' defense held Wagner scoreless for over seven minutes in the second quarter, going on a 14-0 run that saw Columbia hit 6-of-6 from the field. Weiss caught fire, scoring eight of those 14, then finishing the quarter with a buzzer-beating jumper to put the Lions up 46-24 entering the half.

At halftime, Columbia was connecting at over 70 percent (19-27) from the field. Henderson already had 13 of her 15 points. She would serve a limited role with the Lions holding a comfortable margin in the second half.

Columbia held the Seahawks to just three field goals in the third quarter, scoring 20 to Wagner's six and finishing with its largest lead yet at 66-30. The Lions picked up five steals in under three minutes, including one that resulted in a Mia Broom behind-the-back dime to Hilke Feldrappe on the fast break.

The fourth period was academic. Columbia emptied its bench and first-year Alicia Mitchell scored her first career field goal on an and-one bucket with 2:51 remaining. The Lions led by as many as 41.

Columbia stays in the NYC market for its next game, making a short trip across the George Washington Bridge to South Orange, New Jersey, to take on Seton Hall (5-1). Opening tip from Walsh Gymnasium is scheduled for 6 p.m.

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