Box Score Box Score

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. – The Binghamton women's basketball team used a 15-3 run to close the first half and open the second half of play, blowing open what had been a two-point game, as it rallied for a 65-55 victory over the Big Red this evening at the Events Center in Binghamton, N.Y.

Sophomore Clare Fitzpatrick and freshman Allyson DiMagno both scored season highs with 18 and 13 points, respectively. Fitzpatrick also tallied a team-high six rebounds to go along with two steals and one block, while DiMagno grabbed four rebounds and handed out two assists. Freshman Stephanie Long also had a solid game with five points, five rebounds, three assists, three steals and one blocked shot.

Binghamton (7-6) was led by Andrea Holmes' 19 points. Jasbriell Swainn had an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double, while Vive Rebane (12) and Jackie Ward (10) both scored in double figures. Kara Elofson pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds as the Bearcats held the significant 47-32 edge on the boards.

Cornell (2-10) took care of the ball with a season-low 11 turnovers, while forcing Binghamton into 15 turnovers with six steals. The Bearcats held the slight edge in points in the paint (28-26) and second chance points (13-11), but the Big Red registered more points off turnovers (13-12) and got more points from its bench (12-4). In the end, Binghamton's 3-point shooting was the difference, as the Bearcats hit 8-of-20, as opposed to Cornell's 3-of-12 performance from beyond the arc.

Both teams came out blazing in the first half, with Binghamton shooting 50 percent from the floor and 54.5 percent from 3-point range, while the Big Red was just under the pace at 45.2 percent overall and 37.5 percent from beyond the arc. The two teams cooled significantly in the second half with the Bearcats ending the day at 41 percent overall and 40 percent from 3-point range, while Cornell finished at 38 percent overall but just 25 percent from beyond the arc.

“We played really well for long stretches of the game but we had one long scoring drought to close the first half and open the second half and that really hurt us,” said head coach Dayna Smith. “Overall, I think we executed really well on offense and we defended their primary looks but rebounding hurt us. We are such a young team, but we continue to get better each game and we just need to cut down on those scoring droughts and start to put together complete games.”

A pair of layups from Fitzpatrick and DiMagno, sandwiched around a bucket from Swain got the Big Red out to an early 4-2 lead, but the home team responded with four unanswered points to go up, 8-4 at the 17:10 mark.

Cornell battled back, however, thanks to four straight points from Kristina Danielak, and knotted the game at 13-13 when Fitzpatrick came up with a steal and hit DiMagno for a fastbreak 3-pointer. The teams traded baskets for the next seven minutes, with five ties, before a trey by Holmes was followed by a traditional three-point play from Elofson to give the Bearcats a 32-26 lead with 4:53 remaining in the first half.

Back-to-back layups from Long and Fitzpatrick brought the Big Red back within a bucket but the Bearcats held Cornell to just one field goal over the final 3:55 and closed the half on an 11-3 run to take the 43-33 lead into the intermission.

Binghamton extended its lead to 14 in the opening moments of the second half before Cornell scored seven unanswered points to cut the lead to 47-40 with just under 12 minutes to play. The run opened with three straight points from Fitzpatrick, before a pair of made free throws from DiMagno and a fastbreak layup from Spencer Lane.

Another offensive lapse allowed the Bearcats to push its lead back to a game-high 18 points with 6:47 showing on the clock. The teams traded baskets for the next two minutes but Cornell closed the game with eight unanswered points to account for the 65-55 final. During the final push, the Big Red received a jumper in the lane from DiMagno, four-straight points from Allie Munson and an elbow jumper from Aspen Chandler.

The Big Red closes non-conference play with a pair of home games at the end of the week as it welcomes South Dakota and Longwood to Newman Arena. Cornell plays host to the Coyotes on Thursday, Jan. 6 at 7 p.m., before taking on the Lancers on Sunday, Jan. 9 at 2 p.m.