Women’s Basketball Drops Down-to-the-Wire Contest Against Columbia, 59-56

Saturday, February 28

Providence, R.I.

5 p.m.

Brown University

16-9,8-5Ivy League

Columbia

20-6,11-2Ivy League

Columbia

Brown

Photo by: Jon Ratner

Women’s Basketball Drops Down-to-the-Wire Contest Against Columbia, 59-56

2/28/2026 8:45:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Brown women's basketball team (16-9, 8-5 Ivy) fell to the Columbia Lions (20-6, 11-2 Ivy) in a tight 59-56 matchup at the Pizzitola Sports Center on Saturday night.

The Bears close out the season with eight wins at home for the first time since 2017, and a program-best under Elizabeth F. Turner '98 Coaching Chair for Women's Basketball Monique LeBlanc.

Grace Arnolie had her second-straight 20-point game, closing out the weekend with a total of 43 points. She shot 41% (7-17) from the floor, and tacked on five steals, four rebounds, and three assists.

On the brink of a double-double, Alyssa Moreland posted 11 points and nine rebounds for the night.

Brown's conference-best defense shined on Saturday night, keeping Columbia well below their average of 71 points per game and forcing 26 turnovers.

Columbia got on the board first, opening the game with a 6-0 run. Beth Nelson knocked down a three-pointer to put an end to it. Both teams collected a pair of made free throws, with the Bears trailing by three points halfway through the first quarter. Alyssa Moreland made a layup, knotting the score up at 11. Moreland followed up with another layup to give the Bears the lead. The Lions took the lead once more, closing out the opening 10 minutes 16-13.

Charlotte Adams-Lopez hit a clutch three to tie the score at 25. Columbia followed with a brief 5-0 run before fouling, giving the Bears free throw opportunities. Brown's defense came up with a key stop to end the first half, as the Bears trailed by just one point, 30-29, heading into the break.

Brown continued what proved to be an 8-0 run that began in the bottom half of the second. The Lions' Susie Rafiu pulled up with a jumper to put a stop to it. Both teams' defenses stepped up in the third quarter, holding each other scoreless for three minutes. The score was later tied up again at 33, following a Perri Page free throw. The lead changed four times within two minutes, with Brown starting to pull away. An Arnolie layup put the Bears in front by three to end the third. Brown held Columbia to a game-low 11 points in the quarter.

The score tied three more times in the final 10 minutes, with the Bears coming within one point with 30 seconds left on the clock. Brown got the ball back with seven seconds left in the game, but committed a five second violation sending the ball back to Columbia. The Lions netted two free throws, earning a 59-56 win.

Up Next
The Bears will travel to Philadelphia to take on the Penn Quakers for their last regular season contest on Saturday, Mar. 7. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. at the Palestra.

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