NCAA Roundup: Columbia earns first-ever March Madness win in women’s First Four
Riley Weiss scored 14 of her 24 points in the fourth quarter to help Columbia rally from a 13-point halftime deficit and beat Washington 63-60 on Thursday night for the school’s first-ever NCAA Tournament victory.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Riley Weiss scored 14 of her 24 points in the fourth quarter to help Columbia rally from a 13-point halftime deficit and beat Washington 63-60 on Thursday night for the school’s first-ever NCAA Tournament victory.
Cecelia Collins added 12 points for the Lions (24-6), who won the First Four matchup of 11-seeds. They’ll face sixth-seeded West Virginia on Saturday.
Columbia trailed most of the game until the fourth quarter when Weiss got hot. Her two free throws with 18 seconds left gave the Lions a 61-57 lead. Elle Ladine came back hitting a deep 3-pointer a few seconds later to make it a one-point game.
Weiss then swished two free throws to make it 63-60 with 12 seconds left.
William & Mary 69, High Point 63
AUSTIN, Texas — Bella Nascimento scored 24 points and William & Mary edged High Point for a victory in the Tribe’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in either women’s or men’s basketball.
The victory in the First Four matchup of 16-seeds sends William & Mary (16-18) into a game with No. 1 seed Texas on Saturday.
William & Mary was the last original Division I basketball member from 1938-39 to have never made either NCAA Tournament. The Tribe qualified by winning the Coastal Athletic Association Tournament, having to win four games in four days as the No. 9 seed after losing seven of their last eight regular-season games.
Natalie Fox had 12 points and 12 rebounds, including a couple of big offensive rebounds late for the Tribe. Monet Dance scored 15 points and Cassidy Geddes 12. Kayla Rolph had 10 rebounds.
Lauren Scott scored 19 points, Aaliyah Collins 18 and Jaleesa Lawrence 15 for the Panthers (21-12), the Big South regular-season and tournament champions.
