Game Information
Game #11: Drexel at Cornell
Tip Off: Monday, Dec. 30, 2013; 7:00 p.m.
Location: Newman Arena (Ithaca, N.Y.)
Records: Cornell (5-5); Drexel (4-7)
Series Record: Drexel leads, 4-0
Last Meeting: Drexel won 68-46 (11/12/05)
Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/cornell/wbball/
Video Webcast: http://www.IvyLeagueDigitalNetwork.com/

Game #12: Vermont at Cornell
Tip Off: Thursday, Jan. 4, 2014; 7:00 p.m.
Location: Newman Arena (Ithaca, N.Y.)
Records: Cornell (5-5); Vermont (4-7)*
Series Record: Vermont leads, 6-3
Last Meeting: Vermont won 79-49 (11/20/98)
Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/cornell/wbball/
Video Webcast: http://www.IvyLeagueDigitalNetwork.com/

* records prior to Dec. 29

GAME NOTES (PDF)

THE MATCHUP: The Cornell women's basketball team will close the book on 2013 and welcome in the New Year with a pair of games at Newman Arena this week. The Big Red will take on Drexel (4-7) on Monday, Dec. 30, before facing Vermont (4-7) on Thursday, Jan. 2. Both games will tip off a at 7 p.m. Cornell (5-5) and the Dragons are both currently on a two-game skid, while the Catamounts enter a Dec. 29 contest vs. Boston University also on a two-game losing streak.


THE SERIES VS. DREXEL: The Dragons are a perfect 4-0 in the series with Cornell, but the teams have not met since playing twice during the 2004-05 season. The series began during the 1982-83 campaign, a 63-58 decision, which was followed by an even closer 58-55 contest during the 1984-85 season.

LAST TIME VS. THE DRAGONS: Behind early success from 3-point land and a strong run to close out the first half, Drexel posted a 68-46 home victory over the Big Red on Nov. 12, 2005 in Philadelphia, Pa. Drexel broke a 19-19 tie by closing out the first half on a 21-4 run and never looked back, closing out its non-conference slate with a victory. The Dragons shot 6-of-11 from behind the arc in the opening half and 9-of-19 for the game. Senior Katrina Martin led three Dragons in double-figure scoring with a game-high 15 points, while junior Catherine Scanlon added 12 points and freshman Narissa Suber chipped in with 11. Suber registered a game-best seven rebounds to help the home team hold a decisive 32-18 advantage on the boards. The Dragons shot just over 53 percent for the game. Cornell was led by sophomore Claire Perry, who tallied 10 points, while classmate Amy Lyon recorded 10 points, including eight in the second half. Freshmen Morgan Dickens and Lindsay Krasna combined for 16 points with nine and seven, respectively. After a 3-pointer by Dickens tied the contest at 19 with just over eight minutes left in the first half, the Dragons reeled off 13 straight points, holding Cornell scoreless for over five minutes. Drexel would continue to widen the spread, taking a 17-point lead on two occasions, including a 40-23 advantage at the half. Cornell was strong from the floor in the opening half, shooting just over 47 percent, but allowed Drexel to shoot 61.5 percent. Trailing 51-29, the Big Red tried to cut deep into its second-half deficit with a string of 11 straight points, including a pair of 3-pointers from Lyon, but the resulting 51-40 score would be the closest the visitors would get.

CORNELL VS. CAA: Cornell has a 3-11 all-time record against the current members of the Colonial Athletic Association with its only victories coming against Hofstra (1-3), James Madison (1-1) and William & Mary (1-1). The Big Red has also faced Drexel (0-4), Northeastern (0-2), but has never played the College of Charleston, Delaware, George Mason, Georgia State, UNC-Wilmington, or Towson in women's basketball ... Coach Smith is 1-4 all-time against CCA with victories against JMU and William & Mary.

THE SERIES VS. VERMONT: The Catamounts are 6-3 in the series with Cornell, meeting nine times from 1981 to 1999. The Big Red won three of the first five meetings, all of which took place in the 1980s, while Vermont has posted four consecutive victories in the series since a 69-58 triumph during the 1989-90 season.

LAST TIME VS. THE CATAMOUNTS: Forward Karalyn Church scored 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Vermont women's basketball team to a 79-49 victory over Cornell on Nov. 20, 1998 in the first round of the Howard Bank Classic in Burlington, Vt. Chruch scroed 18 of her 25 points in the first half to stake the Catamounts (2-0) a 51-16 lead at the intermission. Vermont shot 63.6 percent (21-33) in the opening half, while the Big Red (1-1) hit just five of its 22 shots (22.7%). For the second straight game, Cornell was led in scoring by freshman guard Breean Walas, who had 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the floor. Senior forward Jumana Salti was the only other player in double figures for the Big Red, with 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Tanisha Coleman (14), Libby Smith (11) and Julie Conrad (10) all joined Church in double figures for the Catamounts, while Smith added a game-high eight assists.

CORNELL VS. THE AMERICAN EAST: Cornell improved to 17-21 all-time vs. the current members of the America East Conference after defeating Binghamton earlier this season. The Big Red holds a winning record vs. Albany (5-1) and UMBC (2-0), while its series record with Stony Brook (1-1) is tied. Cornell holds a losing mark vs. Binghamton (6-8), Maine (0-1), New Hampshire (0-4) and Vermont (3-6), but has never faced Hartford or UMass-Lowell ... Coach Smith is 6-11 all-time vs. the America East.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK: Nia Marshall was named the Ivy League Rookie of the Week on Dec. 2 and Dec. 9, becoming the first Cornell women's basketball player to receive back-to-back Rookie of the Weeks awards since Jeomi Maduka in 2005-06 and the first Cornell player to receive two Rookie of the Week awards in a single season since Lauren Benson in 2006-07.

I'LL TAKE THAT: Cornell has posted 106 steals (10.6 per game) so far this season, which is up significantly from last year when the Big Red registered 8.1 steals per game … Cornell entered the week ranked first in the Ivy League and 35th in the nation … Cornell's 18 steals vs. Seattle were the most since the 2001-02 season, and the most ever during head coach Dayna Smith's time at the helm of the program. In the Big Red's next game vs. Binghamton, the team finished with 16 steals, good for second overall during Coach Smith's tenure.

FREE THROW FIENDS: As of Dec. 28, Cornell has four players – Allyson DiMagno, Aspen Chandler, Shelby Lyman and Kerri Moran – ranked in the top 10 in the Ivy League in free throw percentage. As a team, the Big Red makes free throws at a clip of 74.8 percent, ranking first in the Ivy League.

WINNING NOVEMBER: Cornell finished November with a 4-3 record overall for the second straight season, giving the Big Red a winning record in consecutive Novembers for the first time since 1999-2000 (4-1) and 2000-01 (3-2).

13TH TO 1,000: On Nov. 26 vs. Loyola (MD), senior Allyson DiMagno became the 13th player in Cornell history, and fourth under head coach Dayna Smith, to join the 1,000-point club … She currently ranks 12th overall in Cornell history for career points (1,066) and needs just 40 more to move into 11th place overall, surpassing Rhonda Anderson (1979-83).

TOP TEN REBOUNDS: Allyson DiMagno currently ranks second overall in Cornell history for career rebounds (772) and needs 160 more to surpass Patti Froehlich (1985-89) and become the Big Red's all-time leader … She already holds the school record for career defensive rebounds (492) and career offensive rebounds (280).

1,000/700: Senior Allyson DiMagno is just the fourth player in Cornell history, and first ever under head coach Dayna Smith, to register at least 1,000 points and 700 rebounds for her career. She is the first Cornell player to achieve that feat since Patti Froehlich ended her career with 1,194 points and 931 rebounds in 1989 – three years before DiMagno was born.

FRESHMAN [FOUR]CE: With two starters and two others contributing significant minutes, four members of the freshman class – Kerri Moran, Nia Marshall, Nicholle Aston and Megan LeDuc – are already putting their stamp on the 2013-14 season. All four average more than 12 minutes per game and as a group, they are shooting 37 percent (82-of-222) from the floor. The quartet is also contributing an average of 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 4.6 steals and 1.5 blocks per game.

100 WINS AND COUNTING: Head Coach Dayna Smith is already the winningest coach in Cornell history, and she reached the 100-win mark for her career with the team's victory over Manhattan on Nov. 20, 2012. She has since added to that and has 115 career coaching wins.

IVY LEADERS: While it's still early in the season, several Big Red players are ranked among the top 10 in various categories in the Ivy League (as of Dec. 29), including:
*Allyson DiMagno – ninth in scoring (12.6 points per game)
*Allyson DiMagno – fourth in rebounding (7.7 rebounds per game)
*Nia Marshall – ninth in rebounding (5.8 rebounds per game)
*Allyson DiMagno – ninth in field goal percentage (.478)
*Stephanie Long – 10th in assist per game (2.7)
*Allyson DiMagno – first in free throw percentage (.833)
*Aspen Chandler – fourth in free throw percentage (.818)
*Shelby Lyman – fifth in free throw percentage (.815)
*Kerri Moran – 10th in free throw percentage (.744)
*Allyson DiMagno – fourth in steals (2.1 steals per game)
*Nia Marshall – fifth in steals (2.0 steals per game)
*Kerri Moran – 10th in steals (1.7 steals per game)
*Shelby Lyman – 10th in 3-point field goals made (1.4 per game)
*Nia Marshall – third in blocked shots (1.1 blocks per game)
*Allyson DiMagno – fourth in offensive rebounds (2.3 per game)
*Allyson DiMagno – fifth in defensive rebounds (5.4 per game)
*Nia Marshall – 10th in defensive rebounds (3.8 per game)
*Allyson DiMagno – third in minutes played (34.1 per game)

MAY I ASSIST YOU?: So far this season, the Big Red has assisted on 140-of-199 baskets (70 percent). That is well above last season, as Cornell assisted on 66 percent of its baskets (378-of-573).

STARTING STREAK: Senior Allyson DiMagno has an 89-game starting streak, which is by far the longest active streak on the team, with four others – Stephanie Long, Shelby Lyman, Kerri Moran and Nia Marshall – tied for second at 10 games apiece. Both Long and Lyman had a starting streak ended in the final game last season.

CLOSE CALLS: Since the beginning of the 2010-11 season, the Big Red has had 36-of-90 games (40 percent) decided by eight points or fewer. In those games, Cornell has posted a 20-16 record (.556).

LOW PERCENTAGE SHOTS: Since the beginning of the 2012-13 season, Cornell held 21 of its 38 opponents (55 percent) to below 40 percent shooting from the floor.

HOME SWEET HOME: The Seattle University Delta Dental Thanksgiving Tournament served as a homecoming for senior guard Shelby Lyman, who hails from Snohomish, which sits approximately 45 miles from the Redhawk's campus.

DIMAGNO'S GOT CLASS: Allyson DiMagno has been selected as one of 30 candidates for the 2013-14 Senior CLASS Award in women's collegiate basketball. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award honors the attributes of NCAA Division I senior student-athletes in four areas: community, classroom, character and competition. A captain for the 2013-14 season, DiMagno is an accomplished and well-rounded student with a 3.77 grade-point average in biological sciences (biochemistry emphasis) with a minor in business. She was an Academic All-Ivy selection in 2012-13, and she was also the first-ever Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-District first-team selection in the history of the Cornell women's basketball program. On the court, DiMagno was an All-Ivy selection a year ago after setting the school record for rebounds in a single season (321). In the community she has volunteered at special events, including the Special Olympics, the Make-A-Wish-Make-A-Swish event, and a Be The Match bone marrow drive. She is also involved in numerous volunteer projects each semester as a member of SAAC, and Quill and Dagger. The list of 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2014 NCAA Women's Final Four.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: After setting the Cornell school record with four Ivy League Player of the Week selections a year ago, Allyson DiMagno picked up the Ancient Eight's first weekly award of the 2013-14 season after helping Cornell to its second-straight season-opening victory over Colgate (76-62) on Nov. 8. She led Cornell with 20 points, nine rebounds and five assists. With her nine rebounds, she became just the fourth player in Big Red history to reach the 700-rebound plateau.

100 THREES: The Big Red has connected on at least 100 3-pointers in each of the last six seasons. Cornell has registered at least 100 3-pointers in all but one season under head coach Dayna Smith, with the 2006-07 squad coming up just short with 98 treys.

EVERYBODY'S (ACADEMIC) ALL-AMERICAN: Allyson DiMagno was named a 2012-13 Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-District first-team selection during her junior season. A biological sciences major with a 3.7 grade-point average, she is just the second Academic All-District selection in the history of the Big Red women's basketball program, joining Virginia McMunigal '10, who was a second-team selection during her senior season.

FIRST NIGHT: Four members of the freshmen class saw action in the team's season-opening victory over Colgate. Kerri Moran and Nia Marshall earned the start, while both Megan LeDuc and Nicholle Aston saw significant action off the bench. The quartet played a total of 75 minutes and contributed 26 points, 11 rebounds, seven steals, five blocks, and three assists. They also hit 53 percent of their shots from the field, 67 percent from beyond the arc and 75 percent from the free throw line ... The final member of the freshman class, Taylor DePalma, saw her first collegiate action a week later at Syracuse.

FOR OPENERS: The Big Red is 19-24 all-time in season openers. After defeating Colgate in each of the past two season openers, Coach Dayna Smith's record has improved to 3-9 in the first game of the season. Cornell has now registered back-to-back season opening victories for the first time since winning three straight from 1998-99 to 2000-01.

OPENING AT 2-0: With the 79-72 win over Buffalo, the Big Red started the season at 2-0 for the first time since the 1995-96 campaign, and just the fifth time in program history.

ALL IN THE FAMILY: Senior Aspen Chandler comes from a long line of athletes. Her father, Brian Hopgood, had a successful professional basketball career playing in the various domestic and overseas leagues. Collegiately, he played at University of Louisville and Oklahoma City University. While at OCU, he led his team to the NAIA national championship and was a two-time All-American. Her cousin Shelton Johnson played football for the University of Wisconsin and her grandfather Wayne Long ran track and field in college.

BASKETBALL PEDIGREE: Stephanie Long isn't the only member of her family to play collegiate basketball. Her father Dennis played basketball for three seasons at UConn.

HI, MY NAME IS: Cornell has a new face on the bench for the 2013-14 season – volunteer assistant Jim Sheehan – who spent the past two seasons serving as a volunteer assistant to Cornell's video coordinator. Sheehan is a 2010 graduate of Cortland with a bachelor of science degree in sports management.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK: The Big Red has added five players to this year's squad, as Nicholle Aston (Woodland Hills, Calif.), Taylor DePalma (Ithaca, N.Y.), Megan LeDuc(Vienna, Va.), Nia Marshall (Macedonia, Ohio) and Kerri Moran (Fair Hills, N.J.) have joined the team for the 2013-14 season. The class of five comes from five different states and consists of three guards and two forwards.

RECORD BREAKER: Last year, Allyson DiMagno set the Cornell single-season record for rebounds (321), defensive rebounds (196) and offensive rebounds (125) in a single season. She also set the school record for Ivy League Player of the Week selections in a season with four and set the Cornell mark for minutes played in a single game when she stayed on the court the full 50 minutes of the Big Red's double-overtime victory over Columbia

2012-13 SEASON RECAP: The 2012-13 season was one of steady improvement and individual accomplishments as a four-member senior class and a talented junior made their way up the Big Red record books. Led by Allyson DiMagno, who earned second-team All-Ivy honors following the season, the team posted a 13-15 record overall and a mark of 5-9 in the Ivy League to finish fifth overall in the conference standings. DiMagno, who moved from guard to forward prior to the season, went on to set the Cornell record for rebounds in a season. The team's seniors also left their mark on the program, beginning with Clare Fitzpatrick '13, who left Cornell ranking seventh in Big Red history in points (1,201), sixth in rebounds (609), fourth in free throws made (328), and fifth in blocked shots (68). She also became the first-ever player under Smith to reach 1,200 career points and 600 career rebounds. Spencer Lane '13, who led the Ivy League during her senior season in assists per game and assist/turnover ratio, finished her career ranking eighth all-time in Cornell history in assists (284) and 14th overall in career steals (113). Taylor Flynn '13, ended her career ranking eighth all-time in 3-pointers made (110), while forward Kristina Danielak '13 left Cornell ranking fourth all-time in career field goal percentage (.497) and 10th all-time in Cornell history with 55 career blocks.

TICKLE THE ALL-IVY: Last season, Allyson DiMagno was named second-team All Ivy after leading the Big Red in both points and rebounds, averaging a double-double for the season with 14.7 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. She finished the season with 16 double-doubles, the most by any member of the Ancient Eight since former Ivy League Player of the Year Judie Lomax of Columbia posted 21 during the 2009-10 season. DiMagno also ranked third overall in the Ivy League with 14.7 points per game, but was even better against conference foes, ranking second overall with 15.5 point per game in Ivy League contests.

WHAT WAS LOST: The Big Red graduated four players from the 2012-13 squad – Kristina Danielak, Clare Fitzpatrick, Taylor Flynn and Spencer Lane – and lost three other non-letter winners. The seven players accounted for an average of 28.2 points and 11.5 rebounds per game.

WHAT REMAINS: Cornell returns three starters and five letter winners from last season's squad. The Big Red returns 51% of its scoring (811-of-1,601 points) and 67% of its rebounding (645-of-968) from a year ago.

PRESEASON HONORS: Allyson DiMagno was named a College Sports Madness Preseason All-Ivy second-team selection.

UP NEXT: The Big Red will travel south for games against a pair of MEAC foes as it takes on Morgan State on Monday, Jan. 6 at 5:30 p.m., before facing Howard University on Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 7 pm.