ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Cornell women's basketball team extended its school-record home win streak to 11 games behind Shannan Scarselletta's career-best 21 points in a 58-54 win over Fairfield on Monday evening at Newman Arena. The senior forward scored 20 of her points after halftime in helping the Big Red rally from a one-point halftime deficit to improve to 4-3 on the season. The Stags slipped to 3-3 with the loss.

Scarselletta hit on 7-of-12 shots from the floor and 7-of-9 from the charity stripe and added six rebounds and two blocked shots. She was joined in double figures by Lauren Benson and Allie Fedorowicz with 12 points apiece. Benson added seven rebounds and three assists while playing all 40 minutes, while Fedorowicz had five rebounds. Virginia McMunigal notched eight points as Cornell overcame 22 turnovers by limiting the Stags to 37 percent shooting, including a 1-of-9 effort from beyond the 3-point arc (11 percent).

Baendu Lowenthal had a team-high 18 points to lead the Stags, while Stephanie Geehan had 14 points and nine rebounds to narrowly miss a double-double. Tara Flaherty posted eight points for Fairfield.

 

Both teams struggled offensively in the opening moments of the game before the Stags jumped out a 4-0 lead at the 17:06 mark. After a layup by Susie Doyle got Cornell on the board, the visitors pushed their lead to 8-2 with just over 15 minutes to play in the half.

 

Five unanswered points by Fedorowicz pulled the Big Red within one-point, but Fairfield answered with an 11-3 scoring run over the next six minutes to go up, 19-10.

 

Two free throws by Christine Vlasic and a jumper by Benson swung some momentum back towards the home team and a jumper by Geehan was answered by five unanswered Cornell points to make it a one-point game, 21-20, with just under three minutes to go before halftime.

 

The teams traded baskets the rest of the way and a jumper by Benson with 18 seconds on the clock, followed by two blocked shots from Vlasic on the other end, sent the teams into the intermission with Fairfield leading, 25-24.

 

In a foreshadowing of what was to come, Scarselletta scored the first bucket of the second half on a strong post move to give Cornell its first lead of the game, 26-25. She then extended the Big Red lead on the next trip down the floor with two made free throws.

 

The Stags knotted the game at 31-31 at the 17:45 mark and regained the lead with four straight points by Lowenthal, but Scarselletta answered on the other end to stop the Fairfield run.

 

A layup by Greehan with just over 11 minutes to play in the game returned the Stag lead to five points, 41-36, but five-straight points by Scarselletta tied the game for the second time at 41-41.

The Stags held the lead until a 9-0 scoring run by Cornell, highlighted by six points from Scarselletta and a step-back 3-pointer from Fedorowicz, but the Big Red up, 51-45 with just over five minutes remaining in the contest.

 

The teams traded baskets and a layup by Lowenthal with 47 seconds remaining made it a one possession game, but the Big Red got one made free throw from Scarselletta, her 21st point of the night, and a pair of makes from the charity stripe from McMunigal to seal the victory.  

 

The Big Red will be dormant for three weeks as the University enters the mandated study-break period. Cornell will return to action on Monday, Dec. 22 as it travels to St. Bonaventure to take on the Bonnies at 4 p.m.