Saturday, January 3
New York, N.Y.
2:00 p.m.
Columbia University
vs
Cornell
Photo by: Columbia University Athletics / Stockton Photo, Inc.
Women’s Basketball Hosts Cornell for 2026 Ivy Opener on Saturday
1/2/2026 4:18:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Lions begin quest for fourth straight regular-season championship
NEW YORK – Three-time reigning regular season champion Columbia (9-4) begins its 39th Ivy League women's basketball season on Saturday afternoon when it hosts Cornell (4-8). Opening tip from Schiller Court at Levien Gymnasium is scheduled for 2 p.m.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Lance Medow and Doug Feinberg will be on the call for Saturday's game. Fans who are unable to attend can watch live on ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
OPENING TIPS
• Columbia went 13-1 during the 2025 Ivy League season to win its first outright Regular Season Championship. The Lions won a share of the title in each of the two years prior. Since 2022, Columbia is a combined 50-6 (.893) in Ivy League play.
• The Lions are on a season-long five-game winning streak, which spanned the month of December. Over that time, they have averaged 70.6 points on offense and held opponents to an average of 48.4 points. The Lions are also shooting 44.8% from the field over those five games and holding opponents to 34.5 percent.
• Perri Page is one of four players in the country averaging at least 13.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals and shooting 50 percent or better from the field. Two of the other three players are reigning All-Americans Sarah Strong (UConn) and Madison Booker (Texas). Page leads the Ivy League and ranks top 40 nationally in both total steals (38) and steals per game (2.92). She ranks No. 8 in the Ivy League in scoring (13.2), No. 7 in rebounding (6.6), and No. 5 in field goal percentage (.507).
• Riley Weiss leads the Ivy League and ranks top 40 in the NCAA in scoring, averaging 18.5 points per game. She recorded her 1,000th career point in Monday's win at FGCU, scoring a game-high 24 points in the contest.
• The Lions completed their sixth straight nine-win non-conference season. They also went 9-4 in 2019-20, 10-3 in 2021-22, 11-2 in 2022-23, 9-4 in 2023-24 and 9-4 in 2024-25. The 2020-21 season was canceled due to COVID-19.
• Columbia leads the Ivy League in assists per game (16.5) and steals per game (12.5). Their 12.5 steals per game rank No. 27 nationally. Their assists average ranks top 50.
WEISS JOINS 1,000-POINT CLUB
• Junior Riley Weiss surpassed 1,000 career points as part of Columbia's 63-44 victory over FGCU (Dec. 29). She hit the milestone on a basket with 6:44 left in the third quarter.
• Weiss is the 16th player in program history to score 1,000 career points. Six Lions have reached the milestone in Megan Griffith's 10 years as head coach.
• Weiss is one of five Lions to reach 1,000 points by their junior year, joining all-time leading scorer Abbey Hsu (2019-20, 21-24), Camille Zimmerman (2014-18), Tori Oliver (2013-17) and Ula Lysniak (1983-87).
FGCU POSTGAME NOTES (Dec. 29)
• Columbia's 25-4 third quarter was its best quarter in terms of scoring differential of the season, and the best since outscoring Dartmouth 24-1 in the third quarter on Feb. 14, 2025 at Levien Gymnasium.
• The Lions completed a 9-4 non-conference season. It marks their sixth straight nine-win non-conference campaign -- They went 9-4 in 2019-20, 10-3 in 2021- 22, 11-2 in 2022-23, 9-4 in 2023-24 and 9-4 in 2024-25. The 2020-21 season was canceled due to COVID-19.
• Perri Page had her second straight five-steal game. She has gone for 5+ steals four times this season.
• Columbia improved to 2-0 all-time against FGCU, also defeating the Eagles in New York City, 62-51, last season.
• Weiss passed Melissa Shafer (2008-12) for second in program history in 3-pointers made. Weiss now has 167 made threes, 208 behind Abbey Hsu's career record of 375.
HALFTIME WINNING STREAK
• Columbia has won 35 consecutive games when leading at halftime. The Lions have won their first six such games so far this season, all 20 games when leading at the half in 2024-25, and their final eight such games in 2023-24. Columbia's last loss with a halftime lead came at Princeton on January 20, 2024, taking a 37-33 lead into the locker rooms but coming up short, 80-65.
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
• Columbia is a combined 40-6 (.870) at home since the start of the 2022-23 season.
• The Lions won 20 straight regular season games at home between the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons.
• Columbia went 14-1 (.933) at home during the 2023-24 regular season, followed by 10-1 last season.
BACK ON THE BUBBLE
• Columbia finds itself right back on the bubble in early NCAA Tournament projections. According to ESPN's Charlie Crème, the Lions are currently listed as "Next Four Out" in his latest bracketology.
• Columbia has earned an at-large bid to each of the last two NCAA Tournaments. In both cases, the Lions were on the bubble entering Selection Sunday, drawing Vanderbilt in the First Four in 2024 and Washington in the First Four in 2025. Columbia defeated Washington, 63-60, last season for the program's first NCAA Tournament victory.
• Columbia was also on the bubble in 2023 but did not hear its name called on Selection Sunday. Instead, the Lions went to the WNIT, where they made a run all the way to the championship game against Kansas.
THE SERIES
• Columbia has won eight straight against Cornell since 2022, its longest winning streak in series history. The Lions have won six straight meetings in New York City. The Big Red lead the all-time tilt, 42-35.
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
• Click here for information on the Cornell Big Red.
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.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Lance Medow and Doug Feinberg will be on the call for Saturday's game. Fans who are unable to attend can watch live on ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
OPENING TIPS
• Columbia went 13-1 during the 2025 Ivy League season to win its first outright Regular Season Championship. The Lions won a share of the title in each of the two years prior. Since 2022, Columbia is a combined 50-6 (.893) in Ivy League play.
• The Lions are on a season-long five-game winning streak, which spanned the month of December. Over that time, they have averaged 70.6 points on offense and held opponents to an average of 48.4 points. The Lions are also shooting 44.8% from the field over those five games and holding opponents to 34.5 percent.
• Perri Page is one of four players in the country averaging at least 13.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals and shooting 50 percent or better from the field. Two of the other three players are reigning All-Americans Sarah Strong (UConn) and Madison Booker (Texas). Page leads the Ivy League and ranks top 40 nationally in both total steals (38) and steals per game (2.92). She ranks No. 8 in the Ivy League in scoring (13.2), No. 7 in rebounding (6.6), and No. 5 in field goal percentage (.507).
• Riley Weiss leads the Ivy League and ranks top 40 in the NCAA in scoring, averaging 18.5 points per game. She recorded her 1,000th career point in Monday's win at FGCU, scoring a game-high 24 points in the contest.
• The Lions completed their sixth straight nine-win non-conference season. They also went 9-4 in 2019-20, 10-3 in 2021-22, 11-2 in 2022-23, 9-4 in 2023-24 and 9-4 in 2024-25. The 2020-21 season was canceled due to COVID-19.
• Columbia leads the Ivy League in assists per game (16.5) and steals per game (12.5). Their 12.5 steals per game rank No. 27 nationally. Their assists average ranks top 50.
WEISS JOINS 1,000-POINT CLUB
• Junior Riley Weiss surpassed 1,000 career points as part of Columbia's 63-44 victory over FGCU (Dec. 29). She hit the milestone on a basket with 6:44 left in the third quarter.
• Weiss is the 16th player in program history to score 1,000 career points. Six Lions have reached the milestone in Megan Griffith's 10 years as head coach.
• Weiss is one of five Lions to reach 1,000 points by their junior year, joining all-time leading scorer Abbey Hsu (2019-20, 21-24), Camille Zimmerman (2014-18), Tori Oliver (2013-17) and Ula Lysniak (1983-87).
FGCU POSTGAME NOTES (Dec. 29)
• Columbia's 25-4 third quarter was its best quarter in terms of scoring differential of the season, and the best since outscoring Dartmouth 24-1 in the third quarter on Feb. 14, 2025 at Levien Gymnasium.
• The Lions completed a 9-4 non-conference season. It marks their sixth straight nine-win non-conference campaign -- They went 9-4 in 2019-20, 10-3 in 2021- 22, 11-2 in 2022-23, 9-4 in 2023-24 and 9-4 in 2024-25. The 2020-21 season was canceled due to COVID-19.
• Perri Page had her second straight five-steal game. She has gone for 5+ steals four times this season.
• Columbia improved to 2-0 all-time against FGCU, also defeating the Eagles in New York City, 62-51, last season.
• Weiss passed Melissa Shafer (2008-12) for second in program history in 3-pointers made. Weiss now has 167 made threes, 208 behind Abbey Hsu's career record of 375.
HALFTIME WINNING STREAK
• Columbia has won 35 consecutive games when leading at halftime. The Lions have won their first six such games so far this season, all 20 games when leading at the half in 2024-25, and their final eight such games in 2023-24. Columbia's last loss with a halftime lead came at Princeton on January 20, 2024, taking a 37-33 lead into the locker rooms but coming up short, 80-65.
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
• Columbia is a combined 40-6 (.870) at home since the start of the 2022-23 season.
• The Lions won 20 straight regular season games at home between the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons.
• Columbia went 14-1 (.933) at home during the 2023-24 regular season, followed by 10-1 last season.
BACK ON THE BUBBLE
• Columbia finds itself right back on the bubble in early NCAA Tournament projections. According to ESPN's Charlie Crème, the Lions are currently listed as "Next Four Out" in his latest bracketology.
• Columbia has earned an at-large bid to each of the last two NCAA Tournaments. In both cases, the Lions were on the bubble entering Selection Sunday, drawing Vanderbilt in the First Four in 2024 and Washington in the First Four in 2025. Columbia defeated Washington, 63-60, last season for the program's first NCAA Tournament victory.
• Columbia was also on the bubble in 2023 but did not hear its name called on Selection Sunday. Instead, the Lions went to the WNIT, where they made a run all the way to the championship game against Kansas.
THE SERIES
• Columbia has won eight straight against Cornell since 2022, its longest winning streak in series history. The Lions have won six straight meetings in New York City. The Big Red lead the all-time tilt, 42-35.
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
• Click here for information on the Cornell Big Red.
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.
Players Mentioned
G/F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballIvy Preview: WBK | Coach Megan Griffith | Presented by Amity Hall Uptown
Friday, January 02
Highlights: WBK | Columbia 63, FGCU 44
Monday, December 29
Highlights: WBK | Columbia 70, UTSA 65
Saturday, December 20
Postgame: WBK | Henderson, Avlijas on Win vs. UTSA
Saturday, December 20
