Box Score

ITHACA, N.Y. – The Big Red women's basketball team took a two-point lead into halftime, but a late 9-0 scoring run by Canisius put the game out of reach as the Golden Griffins stole a 66-58 victory this afternoon in Newman Arena. In its first game after a 17-day study break, Cornell had three players score in double-figures, led by Stephanie Long's career-high 17 points.

Long played nearly the entire game and had an impressive night, connecting on 6-of-12 shots and handing out a team-best six assists. Joining her in double-figures was Clare Fitzpatrick with 15 points and Allyson DiMagno with 10. Fitzpatrick and DiMagno both finished with five rebounds.

Canisius (3-6) was led by freshman Jen Morabito's career-high 24 points, while Jamie Ruttle finished with 14 and Melissa Gardner and Micayla Drysdale both chipped in 11 points. Steph MacDonald had a game-high eight rebounds.

Cornell (1-7) shot a respectable 37.5 percent from the floor and 39.1 percent from 3-point range, but the Griffs finished at 41.5 percent overall and 40 percent from beyond the arc. The Big Red had its lowest turnover total of the season with just 15 miscues, while forcing Canisius into 19 turnovers.

In a game that saw nine lead changes and four ties, the contest was decided in the end by Canisius' commanding 44-31 edge in rebounds, which allowed the Griffs to outscore the Big Red, 17-6, in second-chance points.

Cornell jumped out to an early 7-3 lead behind trey from Long, a long jumper from DiMagno and a layup from Krisina Danielak, but a 3-pointer by Morabito made it a 7-6 game at the 16:17 mark. Both teams went cold for the next three minutes before a traditional three-point play from Ruttle gave Canisius its first lead of the game, 9-7, with 12:48 to play.

The Griffs extended their lead to 13-7 before Maka Anayanwu ended a 6:37 scoring drought for the Big Red with a foul-line jumper. Gardner answered on Canisius' next possession, but a fastbreak 3-pointer from Taylor Flynn cut the Griffs' lead to 15-12 at the 9:41 mark.

Back-to-back jumpers from Fitzpatrick made it a one-point game and a 3-pointer from Long restored the 19-17 lead to the Big Red with 4:25 to play in the half. The advantage was short-lived, however, as Morabito converted a four-point play on the next possession to put Canisius up, 21-19.

The action came fast and furious in the final four minutes of the half with the teams trading baskets before a 3-pointer from Long and a layup from Fitzpatrick sent the Big Red into the intermission with the 30-28 lead.

Canisius scored the first eight points of the second half to erase the Cornell lead and go up, 36-30, before a trey by Shelby Lyman ended the run. MacDonald answered with a layup, but back-to-back baskets by Fitzpatrick made it a one-point Griffs' lead, 38-37, with 16:31 to play. After two straight Canisius possessions ended in turnovers, thanks to a drawn charge from Fitzpatrick and a travelling call, Fitzpatrick scored from the left foul-line off an inbounds pass to return the lead to the Big Red, 39-38.

Back-to-back baskets put the Griffs up by four points, but a pair of treys by DiMagno, sandwiched around a jumper from Courtney VandeBovenkamp, knotted the game at 45-45 with 11:18 to play.

Nine unanswered points by over the next five minutes of action gave the visitors a lead it would not relinquish en route to the 66-58 final.

The Big Red is back in action on Tuesday, Dec. 21 when it welcomes Manhattan to Newman Arena at 7 p.m.