Box Score NEW YORK – Prior to this afternoon, the Big Red women's basketball team hadn't played an overtime game since the 2008-09 season and Cornell made it a memorable one, beating Columbia, 71-64, in double-overtime at Levien Gymnasium. It was just the third double-overtime game in Cornell women's basketball history (1979-80; 2001-02), with the Big Red having loss both previous games. 

The Big Red started and ended strong, jumping out to a double-digit lead early in the first half, and then dominated the second overtime to earn the victory. In between Cornell saw its substantial lead erased late in the second half before forcing overtime with a Spencer Lane layup with 1:07 remaining in regulation. Cornell fought back once more from a four-point deficit in the first extra session before jumping out to a four-point lead of its own in the second overtime and rolling to the 71-64 victory.

Cornell set the tone in the second overtime with back-to-back layups by Clare Fitzpatrick and Lane in the first 70 seconds. Lizzy Stachon hit a baseline jumper to restore some momentum to Columbia but Allyson DiMagno answered on the next trip down court. Courtney Bradford hit a jumper in the paint to make it a two-point again, but Cornell made 6-of-7 free throws down the stretch to seal the victory. 

Cornell (10-6, 2-0 Ivy) was led by Fitzpatrick's 23 points and DiMagno's 13-point, 22-rebound double-double. Fitzpatrick also added four assists, two blocks and two steals, while DiMagno chipped in three assists, two steals and one blocked shot.

Lane (11), Taylor Flynn (10) and Shelby Lyman (10) also reached double-figures, with Lane handing out five assists.

Columbia (2-14, 0-2 Ivy) was led by Tyler Simpson's 17 points, with Courtney Bradford (12) and Brittany Simmons (11) also scoring in double-digits. Bradford also posted a team-high 11 rebounds to finishe with a double-double.   

The Big Red shot 38 percent from the floor and just 27 percent from beyond the arc, while holding Columbia to 37 percent overall and 29 percent from 3-point range. In the end, free throws may have made the difference, with Cornell going 17-for-21 for 81 percent, while the Lions converted just 6-of-12 for 50 percent.

Cornell also held the slight lead in rebounds (47-43) and forced the Lions into one more turnover (17-16).

After a back-and-forth battle for the first eight minutes of the contest, Cornell used six consecutive points from Fitzpatrick and a deep trey from Flynn to erase a two-point deficit and go up, 16-9 , with 10 minutes to play in the first half.

A jumper from the left corner by Caitlyn Unsworth temporarily halted the Big Red run, but Fitzpatrick converted a layup off a great feed from Flynn and then DiMagno converted a traditional three-point play to push the visitors to a double-digit lead (21-11). Flynn ended the 16-2 run with a jumper at the 4:47 mark to put Cornell up, 23-11.

The teams traded baskets the rest of the way and a jumper by Simmons with 17 seconds to play sent the teams into the intermission with Cornell holding a 29-19 advantage.

Back-to-back buckets by Courtney Bradford and Miwa Tachibana cut the visitors lead to six-points (29-23), but four-straight points by Fitzpatrick returned the double-digit lead to Cornell, 33-23, with 16:37 to play.

Columbia turned up the defensive pressure to spark a 12-3 run to get back into the game (36-35) with just under 12 minutes to play.

The Big Red responded and pushed its lead back to four points thanks to a traditional three-point play by Lane at the 9:39 mark but a single made free throw by Taylor Ball tied the game (43-43) for the first time since the 12-minute mark of the first half and on its next possession, Taylor Ward restored the lead to the home team with a 3-pointer.

The home team extended its lead to four points, 49-45, at the 5:33 mark, and on the next five possessions, DiMagno and Simmons traded baskets to make it a 53-51 Lions lead.

With just over a minute to play, DiMagno came up with a big steal and Lane converted a tough layup in the paint to knot the game at 53-53 with 1:06 to play.

Simmons found Bradford under the basket with just over 30 seconds to play but the forward couldn't convert, giving the ball back to Cornell.

The Big Red missed on its next possession, but some tough defense fended off three Columbia shots in the final seconds to send the game into overtime.  

Columbia jumped out to a four-point lead in the extra session but Cornell got back within one possession, used some great defense to force Bradford into a bad shot, and then DiMagno pulled down her 20th rebound of the game with 20 seconds to play.

Fitzpatrick was fouled on the Big Red's next trip down the court and sunk a pair of free throws to tie the game with nine seconds to play.

Columbia called time out with four seconds remaining but Fitzpatrick blocked a last second shot by Tachibana with 1.7 seconds to play and the Lions didn't get another shot off, sending the game into the second overtime.