Box Score Box Score

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Freshman Alyson DiMagno scored a career-high 15 points and added nine rebounds, including a put-back bucket with eight seconds to play as Cornell closed out non-conference play with a 69-65 victory over Longwood on Sunday afternoon at Newman Arena in Bartels Hall. The win sends the Big Red into Ivy play with a 3-11 record, while the Lancers slipped to 3-11.

DiMagno was one of four Big Red players in double figures as Cornell posted a season scoring high while shooting 49 percent from the floor. Cornell's top two post players, Kristina Danielak (13 points, seven rebounds) and Clare Fitzpatrick (14 points) combined to hit 11-of-13 shots from the floor in combining for 27 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. Also in double figures was Stephanie Long with 10 to go along with five rebounds. Cornell held a decisive 37-28 advantage on the glass to help overcome 26 turnovers.

The Lancers got 20 points from Krystal Garrison, their lone player in double figures, and added three of the team's 15 steals on the day. Brittany Jones and Emilee Dunton each had nine points in the loss. Longwood committed 21 turnovers.

After leading for the majority of the contest, the Big Red gave up eight unanswered points, allowing Longwood to tie the game at 62-62 with 1:24 remaining in the contest. DiMagno hit a pair of free throws, followed by a single make from Fitzpatrick to restore the lead to the home team, but a deep trey from Garrison tied the game for the third and final time, 65-65, with 40 seconds showing on the clock.

On Cornell's next possession DiMagno grabbed an offensive board and converted the putback, despite some tough defense from Brittanni Billups, to give the Big Red the lead with eight seconds to play. The Lancers inbounded the ball to Garrison, who drove the length of the court looking to tie the game, but ran into Fitzpatrick, who stood her ground and caused a crucial turnover. Long came up with the loose ball and was fouled. The freshman guard sunk both with .2 seconds to play to account for the 69-65 final.

The Big Red got out to a 6-0 lead just moments into the game before Longwood hit its first field goal at the 16:53 mark. The Lancers used a smothering press and active defense to get back into the game, cutting the Cornell lead to 8-6 before the Big Red scored 11 unanswered points to take its largest lead of the half, 19-6, with 11:56 showing on the clock. During the run, Cornell got a layup from Fitzpatrick, a traditional three-point play from Danielak and back-to-back 3-pointers from Long and Shelby Lyman.

Foul trouble caught up to Cornell and with both Danielak and Fitzpatrick on the bench, the Lancers managed to get back into the game with an 11-2 run to make it a four-point game, 21-17, at the 5:55 mark. The Big Red answered with a pair of made free throws from Taylor Flynn and a foul line jumper from Spencer Lane to push the home team's lead back to eight points.

Another timely Longwood run knotted the game for the first time at 26-26 before a Cornell turnover led to a Billups layup on the other end, giving the Lancers its first lead of the contest, 28-26, with 1:50 to play in the half.

A 3-pointer from Flynn restored the lead to the Big Red and a hard-fought offensive rebound by DiMagno on Cornell's next possession sent the rookie guard to the foul line, where she sank both to send the home team into the locker room with the 31-28 lead.

The teams traded baskets to open up the second half before an 8-1 scoring run, thanks in large part to six points by DiMagno, put Cornell up by double-digits, 52-42, with just over 11 minutes to play. The Lancers fought back with a run of their own to cut the Big Red's lead to three points, but Cornell used six unanswered points by its frontcourt, four from Fitzpatrick and two from Danielak, to take one final last lead, 62-54, with 5:13 to play.

The Big Red opens Ivy League play next weekend as it travels to New York City to face Columbia on Saturday, Jan. 15 at 4:30 p.m.