11th seed Columbia couldn't match sixth seed West Virginia on Saturday as climbers attacked the Lions 78-59 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
I didn't imagine Colombia would go through that march.
The Lions set their targets for ventures that don't have Ivy League teams at the beginning of the season.
Columbia wanted to make a sweet 16 run after losing in the first four tournaments last year.
However, there is a lot to be proud of.
This year marked the program's second consecutive March madness appearance.
Unlike last year, Columbia won their first four games, and the sophomore standout Lion helped the Lions carry on their second-half comeback victory against Washington on Thursday.
However, the Lions were unable to convene the same second half revival in the first round.
Colombia came out hot, but it quickly cooled down.
Do you want to match as many marching enthusiasms as possible? Both DirectV Stream and Hulu + Live TV are covered with all the channels you need and a free trial version.
The Lions made a whopping 11 turns in the first quarter alone, including a four-minute scoring drought.
West Virginia saw it swell from nine points at the end of the first quarter to 17 points in the half.
Climbers' press defense suffocated the lions, making it difficult for them to enter the ditch.
Colombia never reached an impressive distance.
Riley Weiss and Cecelia Collins led the Lion with 14 points.
Kitty Henderson added 11 points, nine rebounds, three assists and three steels.
The Lions recorded a season-high 25 turnovers and were outscored with paint 48-20.
The Lions lose two important starters of graduation, Henderson and Collins.
Henderson, who won his 100th victory on Thursday, leaves Columbia as the most winning player in program history and will mark the indelible mark for the Lions.
She is one of the Lions' best defenders and the program's greatest assist leader of all time.
Despite the unfortunate outcome, the future is bright for Colombia.
Director Megan Griffith has a program on upward trajectory for the past three years.
Weiss has two years left and he has no intention of going anywhere.
Griffith believes forward Peripage could be the best player on the team next season.
