Box Score Game Highlights

NEW YORK – After erasing a seven-point halftime deficit midway through the second half, the Big Red women's basketball team couldn't hold on, dropping a heartbreaking 71-64 decision at Columbia this afternoon at Levien Gymnasium.

Allyson DiMagno lead Cornell with 21 points, 15 of which came during the Big Red's second half comeback, while Nia Marshall finished with 17. Guards Kerri Moran, Aspen Chandler and Stephanie Long all finished with seven points. DiMagno, Moran and Joelle Davidson each grabbed a team-high four rebounds.

Columbia (4-11, 1-0) was led by Carolyn Binder's 16 points, thanks to a 4-of-5 performance from beyond the arc. Miwa Tachibana (12), Tori Oliver (11) and Carolyn Gallagher (10) also finished in double-figures.
Courtney Bradford registered nine points and a game-high 11 rebounds, helping the Lions to the slim 36-33 advantage on the boards.

After a cold start to the game, the Big Red shot 55.6 percent from the floor in the second half to finish at 39.2 percent (20-51) for the game. The visitors struggled from beyond the arc, however, hitting just 22.2 percent (2-9).

The Lions hit 44.7 percent for the game (21-47) but were on fire from 3-point range, knocking down 53.8 percent (7-of-13).

Cornell forced 15 turnovers with six steals, while turning the ball over just 11 times.

After holding Columbia without a field goal for more than seven minutes to begin the game, the Lions came alive and scored on three consecutive possessions to take a 9-3 lead with 12:49 to play in the first half. A pair of DiMagno free throws ended the run and Moran made it a two-point game (9-7) with a foul line jumper with just under 12 minutes to play in the first half.

The home team pushed its lead back to seven (14-7) when a layup from Bradford was followed by a trey from Tachibana. Chandler knocked down a 3-pointer the next time down the court but Tachibana answered with another from downtown and Binder hit one free throw to give the Lions an 18-10 lead with 7:41 showing on the clock.

A pair of made free throws from Long, followed by a tough layup from DiMagno, made it an 18-14 game, but a traditional three-point play from Bradford pushed the Lions lead back to seven points.

The Lions took its largest lead of the half, 23-14, on a driving layup from Binder at the 2:20 mark, but one free throw from Lyman was followed by a fast break layup from Moran, who stole the ball at the top of the key and went the distance to make ti a six-point game. DiMagno then hit a pair of free throws with 3.6 on the clock to make it 23-19, but Ward hit a half-court shot at the buzzer to send Columbia into the intermission with the 26-19 lead.

The Big Red battled back early in the second half, with DiMagno scoring seven of Cornell's first 10 points to make it a five-point game on a traditional three-point play with 16:17 to play. Moments later, it was a two-point game (36-34), thanks to a jumper from Marshall and a trey from Moran, sandwiched around a layup from Oliver.

The Lions regained a five-point lead with less than 14 minutes to play, but an 8-2 run gave the visitors its first lead (43-42) since the opening moments of the contest. Tachibana restored the lead to Columbia on the next trip down the court, but Chandler answered immediately and after another defensive stop added a pair of free throws to put Cornell up 47-44 with 8:02 to play.

Cornell maintained a slim lead for the next two minutes before a trey from Binder put Columbia back up by one, 52-51. A free throw from Marshall and a baseline jumper from DiMagno put the Big Red back up by two but the Lions answered back and the teams traded baskets before a trey from Binder, followed by a three-point play from Oliver put Columbia up by four with 3:50 left.

The Big Red forwards went to work, with Marshall and DiMagno scoring around a bucket from Gallagher to pull within two (62-60) with 2:42 to play, but a pair of made free throws from Bradford made it a 64-60 game and from there Lions hit seven free throws to seal the 71-64 victory.

Cornell will look to even the season series next weekend when it plays host to the Lions at Newman Arena on Jan. 25 at 2:30 p.m.