Box Score

ITHACA, N.Y. -- A late Duquesne spurt was just enough to push the Dukes past Cornell 74-69 at Newman Arena on Friday evening in the season opener for both teams. Duquesne got 19 points and 12 rebounds from Samantha Pollino in a game that was a far-cry from last season's 93-49 Dukes victory over the Big Red in Pittsburgh.

"Obviously we're disappointed in the loss, but it's a big improvement from last year and we'll take it and we'll learn from it," said Dayna Smith, the Rebecca Quinn Morgan '60 Head Coach of Women's Basketball. "I was very pleased with our freshmen and how they handled the excitement and nerves, and with our seniors and the leadership the provided."

Senior Lauren Benson led the way with 13 points, seven assists and three rebounds for Cornell, which had four players reach double figures in the scoring column. Senior Virginia McMunigal and freshmen Clare Fitzpatrick and Taylor Flynn each chipped in with 11 points.  Allie Munson had five points and a team-best nine rebounds in the loss. Cornell shot just 40 percent from the floor, but hit on 11-of-22 3-pointers (50 percent) and stayed with the athletic Dukes on the boards (38-35). Senior ALlie Fedorowicz also had a strong floor game with eight points, five rebounds and three assists.

Pollino scored the big bucket, bullying her way into an 8-foot jumper with 20 seconds left, then put the icing on the cake with a pair of free-throws to cap the scoring with two seconds left. She had five of Duquesne's 15 offensive rebounds. Keri Pryor had 16 point sand nine rebounds, while Alex Gensler tallied 15 points.

The first half was a complete reversal of last year's meeting, when Duquesne forced 34 Big Red turnovers. This time it was the Big Red forcing 13 first half miscues in taking a 10-point lead at the break. Benson had eight points and five assists in the first 20 minutes, as Cornell hit on 7-of-12 from beyond the arc (58 percent). The Big Red also got eight points from Fedorowicz and seven rebounds from Munson, as the Big Red kept it even on the boards (18-18)

and overcame its 39 percent shooting and Duquesne's hot 52 percent effort from the floor with the 3-pointer and the Dukes' turnover struggles.

After falling behind early and never getting back in the game a year ago, Cornell scored on two of its first three possessions, including a bucket by freshman Clare Fitzpatrick just 10 seconds in, to build some confidence. The visitors were able to bring the lead out to seven points on three difference occasions, the last at 24-17, but the home team ended the half on a 25-8 run.

A pair of Benson free throws knotted the score at 27-27 with 5:49 left in the first half, and a minute later Munson hit two more shots from the charity stripe to tie it at 29-29. Duquesne continued its hot shooting when Alex Gensler hit a jumper on the team's ensuing possession with four minutes left, but would not score another field goal the rest of the half. Cornell ended with a 13-1 run with Benson hitting a pair of 3-pointers and assisting on a third during the spurt.

Benson hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key with just under three minutes to play before halftime to put the home team up 32-31, erupting the large season-opening crowd gathered to see the Big Red. After the Dukes tied the game, McMunigal's third offensive rebound of the game set up a pair of free throws to put Cornell back in the lead. She then shook free on the next possession and Benson found her for a wide-open 3-pointer from the corner to make it 37-32 with 1:11 in the half. A Duquesne turnover led to another great possession culminating in an Abt 10-foot jumper to push the Cornell lead to seven. Yet another Dukes turnover with 33 seconds remaining ended with Benson hitting a trey from the right wing as the shot clock expired with two seconds left, sending the home team into the break with a 42-32 lead.

After Duquesne opened the second half with a basket, McMunigal answered by hitting a shot from downtown to extend the lead to 11 (45-34) less than a minute into the half. The visitors were able to get within five, but a McMunigal trey with 12:30 remaining got Cornell back up by eight (53-45). Duquesne was able to keep the pressure on and finally regained the lead at 54-53 with 10 minutes left on a jumper by Pryor from the free-throw line. But then Benson switched the momentum back.

The senior hit a long 3-pointer to knot the score at 58-58, then took a charge on the other end. A running jumper off the glass by Fitzpatrick made it 60-58 with seven minutes to play. A great up-and-over move by Fitzpatrick after Duquesne again knotted the game was a highlight as the teams traded baskets for the next three minutes. The freshman hit another basket, this time a 16-footer, to tie the game at 64-64 with under five to play. Another freshman, Taylor Flynn, stepped up big and hit a pair of charity shots with 3:38 left to again tie the score, this time at 66-66.

Munson hit a free throw after an offensive board to put Cornell up 67-66 with less than three minutes to play, but a turnaround jumper by Samantha Pollino swapped the lead again with 1:40 left. After a Big Red timeout, Benson hit a driving layup to yet again switch the momentum. Defensive stops on both ends and timeouts by each team gave the Dukes the ball with 32 seconds left. With a nearly 10-second differential between the game and shot clock, Pollino bulled her way in for a short jumper to go up 70-69  with 20 seconds left. After a Big Red miss, the Big Red put Alex Gensler at the line and she hit both with 13 seconds left. Down three, Cornell set up a play to get Virginia McMunigal a shot from the top of the key, but her attempt was partially blocked and Duquesne rebounded it. Pollino was fouled and hit both free throws to seal the 74-69 victory.

Cornell returns to action against crosstown rival Ithaca College on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Newman Arena.