After Columbia University’s 63–61 victory over Harvard University on Friday night, on Saturday. “This is March; you’ve got to show up and want that moment,” she said. “I’m really confident we want the moment.”
Unfortunately, experience prevailed and Princeton claimed its fifth consecutive Ivy Madness title and with it an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament. The Tigers dominated the Lions throughout, winning 75–58. Kaitlyn Chen was named Most Outstanding Player for the third consecutive year.
“We knew it was going to be challenging,” said Princeton head coach Carla Berube. “We watched a lot of film—the staff and then as a team—and we knew it was going to be really difficult. … When I saw my team this morning at shootaround and before the game, they were very, very locked in and ready to win this game. We knew the scout, we knew the game plan, and they executed really, really well.”
The Columbia Lions have played strong all season, even earning a victory over Princeton on senior night. The team clinched its second consecutive Ivy League Regular Season Championship and headed into the Ivy League Championship game on an 11-game winning streak. Griffth was Ivy League Coach of the Year and Abbey Hsu was named Ivy League Player of the Year.
An emotional Griffith spoke from the heart after the loss. “There’s no secret that I feel we should be playing in the NCAA Tournament,” she said. “The NCAA talks about wanting to grow the game, and we consistently put SEC teams that are 15–14 [in the Tournament]. … We did everything we could to build a resume. … I can’t say enough about Abbey Hsu. She’s one of the best players in the country, and she needs to be seen and I really hope the committee gives her and this team a chance because if we keep being in this spot, we’re not growing the game.”
Griffith’s words proved prophetic. For the first time in program history, Columbia will compete in the NCAA Tournament. The Lions began play in the round of 68, facing off against Vanderbilt yesterday, with the winner playing Baylor on Saturday.
Princeton received the #9 seed in Regional 2 of the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers face West Virginia on Saturday.