PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Top-seeded Columbia survived a late push from fourth-seeded Penn, grinding out a 60-54 win in the Ivy League Women's Basketball Tournament semifinals Friday night at the Pizzitola Sports Center.
The Lions (23-5, 13-1) advance to the conference championship game for the third time in the last four years, where they will meet third-seeded Harvard (23-4, 11-3). The Crimson defeated Princeton, 70-67, in Friday's second semifinal.
Susie Rafiu was the anchor for the Lions, matching her career-high of 16 points and pulling down 10 rebounds for her second career double-double. Seniors
Cecelia Collins and
Kitty Henderson each chipped in 10 points.
Columbia's defense made life difficult for Penn, limiting the Quakers (15-13, 6-8) to 35.7 percent shooting and forcing 18 turnovers.
"I thought Penn played great tonight," head coach
Megan Griffith said after the game. "They clearly wanted to speed us up and be physical with us. And this is March, right? This is why you play. And for them to get into this tournament, it was a big deal. [At the same time], I don't think we played our best, but it doesn't discredit who we are or what we've done this season. If you can win an ugly game, that's a good sign."
Penn couldn't get much going early, managing just six points in the first quarter. However, the Quakers found their groove in the second half, led by Stina Almqvist's 17-point effort. Mataya Gayle added 12 points and four assists before fouling out late in the fourth quarter.
Columbia controlled most of the game, taking a 27-21 lead into halftime and stretched it to 16 after a
Maria Arrebola triple from the left wing with 6:42 left in the third quarter.
Penn, which has a reputation for giving No. 1 seeds trouble in the semifinal the last few years, wouldn't go away quietly. The Quakers used an 11-2 run to get back into the game but missed a wide-open layup that would have cut the deficit to five. Collins made the Quakers pay with a drive down the lane for an easy two to make it 49-40 at the 6:57 mark. Henderson extended it to 11 a few possessions later.
The Lions made a living at the free throw line, making a season-high 20 on a season-high 29 attempts. They went 7-for-10 down the stretch but Penn continued to hang around. Ivy League Rookie of the Year Katie Collins raced up the floor and knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 10 seconds left to bring her team back within four. However,
Mia Broom drained a pair from the stripe and Henderson put the finishing touches on the win with a block on Penn's final possession.
"Honestly, [this game] was good prep for tomorrow," Griffith added. "[Penn] exposed us and opened our eyes to just saying, 'you've got to bring it every single day.' We've always shared this title, and now, as our outright championship, the number one seed, and having the most fans here, it's new territory. That's great, and we love that, but now what comes with the territory is that responsibility and accountability."
Saturday's Ivy League Tournament Championship Game will tip off at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
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