Women’s Basketball Dealt a Heartbreaking Semifinal Loss to Harvard, 67-65 (OT)

Friday, March 13

Ithaca, N.Y.

7:30 p.m.

Columbia

20-8,11-3Ivy League

Harvard

18-10,10-4Ivy League

OT 1

Harvard

Columbia

Photo by: Columbia University Athletics / Josh Wang

Women’s Basketball Dealt a Heartbreaking Semifinal Loss to Harvard, 67-65 (OT)

3/14/2026 12:29:00 AM | Women's Basketball

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Lions run out of time on final attempt

ITHACA, N.Y. – The officials waved off a last-second foul call in overtime and second-seeded Columbia was dealt another cruel Ivy League Tournament loss, 67-65, to third-seeded Harvard in the semifinals. Cornell is hosting this year's event at Newman Arena.

The Lions (20-8) rallied from an eight-point deficit to tie things up in the final seconds of regulation. After Harvard missed a chance to take the lead, the Lions secured a rebound and called for time with 2.7 seconds left. Because they passed the ball before the timeout was called, the Lions were unable to advance it into the frontcourt. Nothing came of the ensuing play and the two sides headed for overtime.

A pair of free throws by Katie Krupa put the Crimson ahead, 66-62, with 6.9 seconds remaining in the extra session. Columbia called for time and drew up a perfect play for Riley Weiss, who sank a three from the top of the arc to cut the deficit to one with 4.5 seconds left.

Harvard made 1-of-2 free throws on the ensuing possession to set up one final chance for Columbia to tie or take the lead. Out of the timeout, Fliss Henderson inbounded the ball to Hilke Feldrappe to the far side of the key. Feldrappe dropped it off for Weiss but her defender slipped a screen to force Weiss into a dribble. The Ivy League Player of the Year drove toward the baseline and tried to get a shot off from under the basket at the buzzer. As the ball was leaving her hand, the officials whistled Harvard for a foul. They then went to the monitors to see if the foul occurred before or after the buzzer, and determined the latter. They waved off the foul call, ending the game and sealing the victory for the Crimson (18-10).

"You just have to have a consistency in how you do things," Lavine Family Head Coach of Women's Basketball Megan Griffith '07CC said. "That's been our problem all year. We just have a lack of maturity that allows us to be as consistent as possible, and show up throughout the game and not just in crunch time of a game. If you two-minute drill us against any other team in the country, I'm going to take our team, but the game is 40 minutes, or more, like tonight.

"Not being able to execute on that last play was also really hard. Just another player making another mistake. It's a play you've run a million times in practice and the only thing I can do is… I haven't taught them well enough. You just have to eat that, because as their coach, for us to move on, I'll carry the burden so we can be better the rest of March.

Weiss scored a game-high 25 points on 9-of-18 shooting. Mia Broom added 12 points and six assists, while senior co-captain Susie Rafiu contributed 10 points and six rebounds.

Trailing 53-45 with 4:48 left in regulation, Columbia used a 10-2 run to extend the game. Weiss began the rally with a pull-up jumper from the foul line, and after a steal led to a Perri Page layup, the Lions were back within four, forcing a Harvard timeout.
Weiss continued to lead the comeback, knocking down a transition 3-pointer before finishing through contact on the next possession to bring Columbia within one with just over a minute remaining. After the Crimson missed a free throw, Rafiu was fouled with 37.9 seconds left and made both shots to tie the game at 55.

Abigail Wright opened overtime with a 3-pointer from the right wing and, despite the nail-biting finish, Harvard never trailed again.

The Crimson were led by Wright's 18 points and Karlee White's 16. Saniyah Glenn-Bello added 12 points.

The Lions now prepare for a likely selection to the WBIT. They will find out their first-round opponent during the selection show, which airs on ESPN+ Sunday at 9 p.m.

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