A March Madness trip: Behind the scenes with Columbia as the Lions make their way to the Big Dance

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — (Editor's Note: The Associated Press was granted exclusive access to the Columbia women's basketball team for this behind-the-scenes look at the Lions' journey from New York to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this week in search of the school's first NCAA Tournament win.)

Columbia coach Megan Griffith began working on plans for the Lions' return to the NCAA Tournament immediately after they heard their name called on Selection Sunday. She has been here before.

This behind-the-scenes look by The Associated Press at the team's journey from New York to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this week provides insight into managing what is a business trip for any school in the tournament and allowing players to enjoy the ride.

Griffith has turned Columbia into an Ivy League power over the past few seasons. The former Lions point guard has led the program to three consecutive regular-season conference titles, including this year's outright crown.

A year after earning the first NCAA bid in school history, the Lions are back in March Madness again. Now Columbia has its first victory after beating Washington 63-60 on Thursday night in a play-in game.

The Lions held one final practice and did interviews before departing New York for the two-hour charter flight to Chapel Hill. While there's usually a handful of reporters at Columbia's scheduled media availabilities, this one was different. Nearly every TV station in the biggest media market in the country came to talk to the team and the coach.

For a day, the Lions were the center of attention in a sports city that has the Knicks, Yankees, Mets and St. John's vying for coverage.

The players took it all in stride, patiently answering questions and seemingly enjoying the attention.

Nonetheless, it was a relatively subdued sendoff.

Yes, there was a huge media contingent in attendance, but the school is on spring break right now. The campus is also difficult to get onto because of the pro-Palestinian protests that have loomed over the campus the past year.

The Lions took the 45-minute ride to Newark Airport, where their chartered flight awaited. It was only the second time that the team had flown on a charter — the first came last year when Columbia made its first trip ever to the NCAA Tournament and they traveled to Blacksburg, Virginia. Thursday's contest came on the one-year anniversary of the loss to Vanderbilt in the play-in game.

The players were in awe of being able to drive straight up to the tarmac where the plane was waiting.

“It was cool going to the charter and we’ve been taking it all in,” junior Perri Page said. “But it’s a business trip and we have a goal in mind.”

After enjoying the amenities of their charter flight — larger seats, a little more leg room, just teammates, cheerleaders and staff on board — the Lions arrived in Chapel Hill and took a short ride on a coach bus to their hotel, welcomed by March Madness signs all over to greet the team.

The players had a bit of downtime before dinner and a film session on Washington.

Players went to their rooms and hung out, unwinding after the travel day. With the school on break, there was no studying to be done.

The Columbia players' eyes lit up when they got to Carmichael Arena for practice.

They walked into the locker room where nameplates were on the lockers with each players' name and number and March Madness signage. There was also a snack table filled with fruit, granola bars and other energy lifters.

On the seats in front of the lockers was NCAA swag. Hats, socks, playing cards, sweatshirts, a fanny pack and a banner awaited each player. They tried on the hats and sweatshirts and unfurled the banners which said March Madness on it.

“I have one of these at home from last year so now I can put this next to it," Page said.

After a quick media session, the Lions were eager to get to work and practice. A little bit too eager.

They ran onto the court to warm up and stretch before they were allowed to by the NCAA. Every team has allotted practice times and they can't be on the court before or after that time slot.

They started stretching a few minutes before the official start time and a site rep came over and had them leave the court for a few minutes until they could start.

Columbia made the most of the time, stretching in the hallway.

The NCAA only slots 90 minutes for practice and Lions seniors Cecelia Collins and Kitty Henderson wanted to get some extra shots up. So after a phone call was made, the pair — along with Griffith and two other staff members — took the five-minute ride to the Dean Smith Center, where the North Carolina men's basketball team plays, to put up some shots.

After a quick stop for photos on the court of the 21,750-seat arena, the duo worked out for 30 minutes.

“I grew up as a kid watching a lot of college basketball and it was cool to see that place,” Collins said.

The Columbia women's team needed a place to do its walkthrough Wednesday evening.

No problem. The good folks at the Courtyard Marriott where the team was staying had a conference room available. The student managers put a court down with tape in the 20x20 space. It wasn't a full court — but it did the trick.

Using a tennis ball as a basketball, the team went through plays on defense that they would need against Washington. The space was tight, but the Lions made the best of it, even going out into the hallway for a few of the plays.

After the on-court review was finished, the Lions spent 10 minutes playing a fun communication game to work on talking to each other.

The Lions watched the Princeton-Iowa State game during dinner, cheering on their Ivy League counterparts. Columbia is one of a record three Ivy League teams playing in the NCAA Tournament, along with Princeton and Harvard.

The team started watching the game as the Tigers were in the midst of a 23-5 run to close the half and go up 38-25 at the break.

“Are we good luck?” Griffith quipped, drawing laughter from her teammates.

But it wasn't the luck of the Ivy for Princeton; Iowa State rallied in the second half for a 68-63 win.

Collins said that she and Henderson were trying to enjoy every minute of her final time playing for Columbia.

“I think this being my and Kitty's last we're just trying to soak in every possible thing, even if it's just like warmups before practice,” Collins said. “Team dinners, everything. It doesn't have to be anything too fancy. We're just kind of like trying to have fun in those moments.”

The Lions were feeling no pressure Thursday morning.

They had a quiet morning, eating breakfast and watching more film on Washington before heading to the arena for their final shootaround before Thursday night's game.

“We feel good, we're focused and ready to go," leading scorer Riley Weiss said. "We feel we're well prepared.”

Weiss has made the biggest improvements this season, seeing her scoring rise from 7.1 points a game as a freshman to 17.8 this year.

Columbia rallied from a 13-point halftime deficit to pull off the first NCAA win in school history. It came on the one-year anniversary of last season's NCAA loss to Vanderbilt.

When the players got back to the locker room they jumped up and down with Weiss in the middle of the celebration.

“We belong, we belong,” Griffith said in the locker room. “I can't reiterate how proud I am of you and the way you represent the name across your chest.”

The team celebrated when they got back to the hotel with the cheerleaders and dozens of fans giving them a loud ovation when they walked through the hotel lobby. They went straight to the giant March Madness bracket and Henderson filled in the team's name in the empty space opposite the Lions next opponent, West Virginia. Her teammates called out each letter of the school's name as she wrote it on the bracket.

The Associated Press’ women in the workforce and state government coverage receives financial support from Pivotal Ventures. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

AP Sports Writer Doug Feinberg has covered women’s basketball for the past 19 years and is a 1995 graduate of Columbia.

AP March Madness: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here.

Columbia head coach Megan Griffith talks to her team after practice in Chapel Hill, N.C., Wednesday, March 19, 2025, before their First Four basketball game in the NCAA Tournament against Washington on March 20. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Columbia forward Susie Rafiu sits in the locker room before a practice session at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill, N.C., Wednesday, March 19, 2025, before their First Four basketball game in the NCAA Tournament against Washington on March 20. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Columbia guard Mia Broom laughs as she gets settled in the locker room at Carmichael Arena on the campus of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C., Wednesday, March 19, 2025, before their First Four basketball game in the NCAA Tournament against Washington on March 20. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Columbia forward Perri Page defends during practice in Chapel Hill, N.C., Wednesday, March 19, 2025, before their First Four basketball game in the NCAA Tournament against Washington on March 20. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Columbia guard Marija Avlijas runs with teammates during practice in Chapel Hill, N.C., Wednesday, March 19, 2025, before their First Four basketball game in the NCAA Tournament against Washington on March 20. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Columbia guards Mia Broom, left, and Riley Weiss show off some of the items they received in the locker room as Nasi Simmons records them for social media in Chapel Hill, N.C., Wednesday, March 19, 2025, before their First Four basketball game in the NCAA Tournament against Washington on March 20. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Columbia guards Kitty Henderson, left, and Cecelia Collins (3) share a laugh at practice in Chapel Hill, N.C., Wednesday, March 19, 2025, before their First Four basketball game in the NCAA Tournament against Washington on March 20. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Columbia guard Emily Montes tries on her hat from her swag bag as the Columbia basketball team arrives at Carmichael Arena on the campus of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C., Wednesday, March 19, 2025, before their First Four basketball game in the NCAA Tournament against Washington on March 20. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Columbia guard Kitty Henderson celebrates at practice in Chapel Hill, N.C., Wednesday, March 19, 2025, before their First Four basketball game in the NCAA Tournament against Washington on March 20. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Columbia forward Perri Page leaves the team bus with her hands full in Chapel Hill, N.C., Wednesday, March 19, 2025, before their First Four basketball game in the NCAA Tournament against Washington on March 20. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Columbia guard Kitty Henderson answers a question at an NCAA Tournament press conference as teammate Cecelia Collins looks on in Chapel Hill, N.C., Wednesday, March 19, 2025, before their First Four basketball game in the NCAA Tournament against Washington on March 20. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Columbia forward Perri Page, left, and guard Cecelia Collins lead the team through warm up drills before practice in Chapel Hill, N.C., Wednesday, March 19, 2025, before their First Four basketball game in the NCAA Tournament against Washington on March 20. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Columbia head coach Megan Griffith talks to her team at practice in Chapel Hill, N.C., Wednesday, March 19, 2025, before their First Four basketball game in the NCAA Tournament against Washington on March 20. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Columbia guard Cecelia Collins stretches before practice in Chapel Hill, N.C., Wednesday, March 19, 2025, before their First Four basketball game in the NCAA Tournament against Washington on March 20. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Columbia forward Blau Tor puts on her shoes for practice at Carmichael Arena on the campus of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C., Wednesday, March 19, 2025, before their First Four basketball game in the NCAA Tournament against Washington on March 20. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Columbia players huddle together at practice in Chapel Hill, N.C., Wednesday, March 19, 2025, before their First Four basketball game in the NCAA Tournament against Washington on March 20. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Columbia guard Kitty Henderson warms up before practice in Chapel Hill, N.C., Wednesday, March 19, 2025, before their First Four basketball game in the NCAA Tournament against Washington on March 20. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Columbia head coach Megan Griffith talks to her team at practice in Chapel Hill, N.C., Wednesday, March 19, 2025, before their First Four basketball game in the NCAA Tournament against Washington on March 20. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Columbia players look around as they arrive at Carmichael Arena on the campus of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C., Wednesday, March 19, 2025, before their First Four basketball game in the NCAA Tournament against Washington on March 20. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Columbia players warm up before their practice session in Chapel Hill, N.C., Wednesday, March 19, 2025, before their First Four basketball game in the NCAA Tournament against Washington on March 20. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Columbia players grab a post-practice snack in Chapel Hill, N.C., Wednesday, March 19, 2025, before their First Four basketball game in the NCAA Tournament against Washington on March 20. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Columbia players walk through plays in their hotel in Chapel Hill, N.C., Wednesday, March 19, 2025, before their First Four basketball game in the NCAA Tournament against Washington on March 20. (AP Photo/Doug Feinberg)

Columbia guard Nasi Simmons records a video for the team's social media at their hotel in Chapel Hill, N.C., Wednesday, March 19, 2025, before their First Four basketball game in the NCAA Tournament against Washington on March 20. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

BANGKOK (AP) — A high-rise building under construction in Bangkok collapsed after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake rocked Thailand and neighboring Myanmar midday on Friday, police said, and possible casualties are not yet known.

A dramatic video circulated on social media showed the multi-story building with a crane on top collapsing into a cloud of dust, while onlookers screamed and ran.

Police told The Associated Press they were responding to the scene near Bangkok’s popular Chatuchak Market, and had no immediate information on how many workers were on the site at the time of the collapse.

The midday temblor was followed by a strong 6.4 magnitude aftershock, and people in Bangkok evacuated from their buildings were cautioned to stay outside in case there were more.

“All of a sudden the whole building began to move, immediately there was screaming and a lot of panic,” said Fraser Morton, a tourist from Scotland, who was in one of Bangkok's many malls shopping for camera equipment.

“I just started walking calmly at first but then the building started really moving, yeah, a lot of screaming, a lot of panic, people running the wrong way down the escalators, lots of banging and crashing inside the mall.”

Like thousands of others in downtown Bangkok, Morton sought refuge in Benjasiri Park — away from the tall buildings all around.

“I got outside and then looked up at the building and the whole building was moving, dust and debris, it was pretty intense,” he said. “Lots of chaos.”

The U.S. Geological Survey and Germany’s GFZ center for geosciences said the earthquake was a shallow 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), with an epicenter in Myanmar, according to preliminary reports.

In Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city and close to the epicenter, the earthquake damaged part of the former royal palace and buildings, according to videos and photos released on Facebook social media.

While the area is prone to earthquakes, it is generally sparsely populated, and most houses are low-rise structures.

In the Sagaing region just southwest of Mandalay, a 90-year-old bridge collapsed, and some sections of the highway connecting Mandalay and Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon, were also damaged.

Residents in Yangon rushed out of their homes when the quake struck. There were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths.

In the capital Naypyitaw, the quake damaged religious shrines, sending parts toppling to the ground, and some homes.

In Bangkok, alarms went off in buildings as the earthquake hit around 1:30 p.m., and startled residents were evacuated down staircases of high-rise condominiums and hotels.

The greater Bangkok area is home to more than 17 million people, many of whom live in high-rise apartments.

Water from high-rise rooftop pools sloshed over the side as they shook, and debris fell from many buildings as the long-lasting earthquake rattled the city.

“I have experienced earthquakes twice before in Myanmar, but that was only one second, one big bang, but here it went on for at least, I’d say, a minute,” said Zsuzsanna Vari-Kovacs, a Hungarian resident of Bangkok, who had just finished eating at a restaurant when the quake hit.

“My husband was in a high-rise, I think that’s even worse.”

Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention said the quake was felt in almost all regions of the country.

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra called an emergency meeting to assess the impact of the quake.

Adam Schreck, Haruka Naga, Jerry Harmer and Penny Wong contributed to this report.

Rescuers work at the site of a high-rise building under construction that collapsed after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Rescuers work at the site of a high-rise building under construction that collapsed after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Rescuers carry an injured from the site of a high-rise building under construction that collapsed after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Rescuers work at the site of a high-rise building under construction that collapsed after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Damaged pagodas are seen after an earthquake, Friday, March 28, 2025 in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)

Rescuers work at the site of a high-rise building under construction that collapsed after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Rescuers carry an injured from the site of a high-rise building under construction that collapsed after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

People seek shelter in Bangkok's Benjasiri Park after an earthquake shook nearby high-rises on Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Adam Schreck)

Workers at the Ikea in a nearby high-rise shopping mall and others seek shelter in Bangkok's Benjasiri Park after an earthquake on Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Adam Schreck)

People who evacuated from buildings following earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Chutima Lalit)

Rescuers work at the site of a high-rise building under construction that collapsed after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Children walk near a damaged monastery compound after an earthquake, Friday, March 28, 2025 in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)

A damaged monastery is seen after an earthquake, Friday, March 28, 2025 in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)

Damaged pagodas are seen after an earthquake, Friday, March 28, 2025 in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)

A Buddhist monk walks near a damaged building at a monastery compound after an earthquake, Friday, March 28, 2025 in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)

Damaged pagodas are seen after an earthquake, Friday, March 28, 2025 in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)

Residents of a high-rise condo building wait outside after an earthquake in Bangkok, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Christie Hampton)

People who evacuated from buildings following earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Chutima Lalit)

People who evacuated from buildings following earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Chutima Lalit)

People who evacuated from buildings following earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Chutima Lalit)