The Guru Report: Princeton Downs Columbia for Fifth Straight Ivy Tourney Crown While Drexel Rallies to CAA Title Game and Fairfield Likewise to MAAC Championship

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

NEW YORK, N.Y. — When Columbia celebrated senior day late last month at home here in Levien Gym in front of a sellout crowd by edging Princeton and then rode a first-place tie in the Ivy League with the Tigers to the finish of a second straight regular season, the local faithful thought a pot of gold would soon be theirs just before the onset of St. Patrick’s Day.

As the Lions were to host Ivy Madness, the upper hand of home court advantage would be the magic ingredient to lead to the long sought automatic qualifier to the NCAA tournament and expunge the sting of last season’s semifinal upset loss at the hands of Harvard at Princeton’s Jadwin Gym and indeed along the way Columbia exacted revenge for that misery ousting the Crimson in Friday’s semifinals.

But the anticipation of raising the championship trophy was short-lived.

The Perennial winners moved in front 19-14 after one period had elapsed, stayed ahead to a 34-27 halftime lead and then removed all doubt who would do the celebrating with a punishing 21-12 third quarter on the way to a 75-58 triumph.

Madison St. Rose led Princeton (25-4), which won the first confrontation at Jadwin, with 18 points, Kaitlyn Chen, the 2023 Ivy player of the year and Madness MVP, scored 18, Ellie Mitchell, the repeat defensive player of the year, had 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Ashley Chea added 10 points.

Columbia (23-6) was led by Chen’s successor for top Ivy honors, Abbey Hsu, scoring 20 points, aided by 6-12 from deep, while Cecelia Collins and Kitty Henderson each scored 13 points.

It’s the fifth straight title for Princeton, which has continued to thrive under former UConn star Carla Berube, who out of a strong effort at Division III Tufts picked up the baton after program builder Courtney Banghart headed to the Power 5 world of North Carolina in the ACC.

“We are experienced now at the NCAA level and March madness,” Berube said. “Ellie and Caitlyn have been there a couple of times. Experience can help us.

“We have a lot of young players and new players that, having been on this journey, these leaders will help us along,” she continued with an eye to this season’s 68-team field to be revealed Sunday night at 8 p.m. on ESPN.

It was Columbia’s second title appearance, having lost to the Tigers in 2022.

 Once again Megan Griffith, the King of Prussia native weaned off the Princeton staff of Banghart to return to her alma mater and build the Lions into an Ivy and national force, was left to state the case of Columbia’s inclusion in the national field.

That was futile 12 months ago, but the Lions made history for the Ivies advancing to the WNIT championship before losing by seven points at Kansas.

“There's no secret that I feel we should be playing in the NCAA tournament,” Griffith said at the postgame press conference. “We’re in the exact same spot we were in last year, almost identical. 

“We were the first team out last year. We go to the final of the WNIT … There are no other mid-major teams on the bubble or even in conversation for the bubble.

“I can't say enough about Abbey Hsu,” Griffith became emotional praising her star player. “She's one of the best players In the country and she needs to be seen.

“I really hope the (NCAA) committee gives her and this team a chance to because if we just keep being in this spot, we’re not growing the game.”

Drexel and No. 25 Fairfield Pull Stirring Rallies

If the Luck of the Irish would be anywhere, start with Drexel on Saturday, the last city team alive for the NCAA field.

The seventh-seeded Dragons, after two straight two-point wins in the Coastal Athletic Association, gave up a lead to Towson but nipped these Tigers 69-68 on Chloe Hodges’ layup with three seconds left in regulation to advance to Sunday’s championship (2 p.m., CBSSN) at the home of the WNBA Washington Mystics against top seed Stony Brook, which joined the CAA last season.

Drexel (18-14) was picked seventh after the graduation of all-time Dragon Keishana Washington but has caught fire in the last several weeks.

“… Just to be able to be in the situation we are in now, it's all on this team,” said Drexel coach Amy Mallon. “They believe in each other period and when you do that, as we know you can achieve anything.”

Drexel trailed 68-67 with 14 seconds left and Towson went to the line where Anasia Stanton missed both free throws with Amaris Baker, who had a game-high 23 points, grabbing the rebound for the Dragons.

After a foul on Towson and down to 4.6 seconds, Villanova transfer Brooke Mullin zipped a pass to Hodges, who hit the game winner and finished with 15 points. Hetta Saatman scored 11.

At worst, should Drexel lose, the Dragons have now likely played themselves into a spot in either the new NCAA organized 32-team Women’s Basketball Invitational or 48-team WNIT.

Meanwhile down in Atlantic City at the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) title game at Boardwalk Hall, Fairfield (31-1), which was on a 28-game win streak and enjoying the second week of a first-ever AP ranking at No. 25, trailed second seed Niagara most of the afternoon.

The Purple Eagles were the preseason No. 1 pick.

Janelle Brown, with all 15 points in the second half, got the Stags ahead first time just under the two-minute mark.

It looked like she had won it at the finish but was assessed a charging foul sending the game into overtime.

Fairfield took it from there for a 70-62 win and second title in three seasons but first under coach Carly Thibault-DuDonis, the daughter of WNBA Mystics general manager Mike Thibault, whose son Eric succeeded him as coach when the elder Thibault retired from the sidelines.

The Stags’ lone loss was 73-70 at Vanderbilt in early November.

Amelia Strong with 14 points was the only player in double figures for Niagara (21-13).

And that’s the report.