Before last Saturday’s senior day game, Columbia University women’s basketball had already secured the top seed in this weekend’s Ivy League Tournament, but the Lions wanted to send seniors Kitty Henderson and Cecelia Collins out with a bang and be the Ivy League women’s basketball regular season champions. A 91–58 victory over Cornell brought Columbia another piece of history. This is the team’s third consecutive Ivy League regular season title, but the first they’ve won outright and not shared the honors with Princeton. The significance of this achievement was not lost on the program’s alumnae who were in attendance.
“There’s nothing cooler than being a part of history; that’s why we all came here,” said Carly Rivera, class of 2023. “To be a part of the first of something and to watch that legacy carry on, there’s no feeling like it.”
“This is a moment we’ve all been waiting for,” said junior guard/forward Perri Page, who had seven rebounds and six points in the win. “This is something we’ve worked for ever since the beginning. I’m so proud of, first of all, the seniors who have worked their butts off to be in this moment. We’re really proud to be here, but we’re not done yet. This is just our first step and we’re going to keep building with this.”
Page said the team speaks about its potential and how it’s gaining momentum each day. “As we keep growing, our ceiling keeps rising,” she said. “I get to be a part of the community we’ve built.”
Junior forward Susie Rafiu had 10 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. “This is what you dream of,” she said. “We don’t want to be like every other team, we want to stand out and do our own thing. This is a great stepping stone to doing that.”
The two seniors both had stellar games. Collins had 21 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Henderson had 14 points, nine assists and three steals.
Lilian Kennedy, class of 2023, was wearing her ring from Columbia’s first Ivy League regular season championship as she relished the team’s continuing progress.
“[This win] is a testament to the culture that we built here and the hard work that the players put in day in and day out,” said Kennedy during the post-game celebration. “I’m super excited to see the momentum carry on to the Ivy League Tournament and the NCAA Tournament as well.”