IN A thrilling semifinal matchup, the Columbia Lions managed to grind past the Bowling Green Falcons and claim a 77-70 triumph in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament (NIT).

The match took place at Stroh Centre on Thursday, and there was a spot in the championship game was on the line, which was evident given the desperate nature of each team.

While the margin was never an unbeatable total, the Lions took the lead in the opening term, and won all but one term. The Falcons were always within striking distance, but did not produce the match-winning run in time, and eventually bowed out to the tune of seven points, as Columbia advanced to the deciding match.

The impact of guard Kaitlyn Davis cannot be understated in the context of the match, having a huge say on Columbia’s performance and the result of the game. She did a bit of everything and successfully got her side one step closer to the NIT title.

Columbia Lions (77) def. Bowling Green Falcons (70)

Kaitlyn Davis – 19 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists, three steals

Davis flirted with a triple-double in the do-or-die win over the Falcons, popping up everywhere to leave her mark on the match.

19 points came on some solid efficiency, rarely wasting a shot and simply taking what was given to her by the defence. She had the ability to slice open the defence off the dribble and create her own shot using handles and screens.

Davis nailed nine of her 13 attempts from the field, making sure to take high percentage shots and making them more often than not. She also had perfect efficiency from behind the arc, draining her only shot from downtown.

Although there were taller players on the court, Davis was the match’s premier rebounder with a game-high 15. Most of these came after opposition misses, but four were on the offensive end, following up a miss from either herself or one of her teammates and generating second-chance scoring opportunities.

The likes of Abbey Hsu and Hannah Pratt benefited from the crisp passing of Davis, with the 21-year-old getting her teammates involved by drawing in multiple defenders before dishing out to someone that was wide-open. Her ability to squeeze tough passes through small gaps was a marvel to watch, and generated plenty of crucial offence for the Lions.

It was an outstandingly balanced performance from Davis, who impacted the game in almost every way and willed her side over the line in a tremendous display on the big stage.