HAMILTON, N.Y. – After leading by double-digits for the majority of the game, Colgate made it a two-point contest with 1:32 to play, but some tough defense and impressive free throw shooting down the stretch gave the Big Red women's basketball team its first victory of the season, winning 74-66, this evening on Cotterell Court in Hamilton, N.Y.
 
Sophomore guard Megan LeDuc led all scorers with a career-high 19 points, while junior Maddie Campbell finished with career-highs in both points (14) and rebounds (8). The forward tandem of Nicholle Aston (12) and Nia Marshall (11) rounded out the Big Red's double-digit scorers with Aston pulling down eight rebounds and Marshall tallying five boards and three steals. The game was a total team effort with guards Kerri Moran and Christine Kline combining for 15 points and six assists.
 
Colgate (0-2) had three scorers in double-digits, led by Paige Kriftcher and Carole Harris with 14 points apiece, while Missy Repoli added 12.
 
Cornell shot an impressive 50 percent overall (27-54), buoyed by a fast start as it shot 60 percent in the first half. The Raiders weren't far behind at 45.9 percent from the floor for the game and both teams were an identical 33.3 percent from beyond the arc.
 
The Big Red held the slim edge on the boards, 34-31, but seemed to get all of the important ones in the final minute of the game to steal the victory.
 
Cornell was leading by 10 points (64-54) with just over eight minutes remaining in the game when the Raiders used an 8-0 run cut the Big Red's lead to just two pints (64-62) at the 4:55 mark. Some tough defense forced a Colgate turnover and floater in the lane by Kline, followed by another defensive stop on a big rebound from LeDuc gave Cornell a four-point lead with just under 2:00 to play.
 
Cornell turned the ball over and Mariah Jones made it a single possession game with a layup at the 1:32 mark but the Big Red got the ball over half court and called a timeout with 1:20 to play. Cornell's shot fell short but Colgate missed on the other end and LeDuc came down with another tough rebound and was fouled. She made both free throws and then tacked on two more when she was intentionally fouled after another Raider miss.
 
Cornell got the ball back because of the intentional foul and Marshall hit both of her free throws at the 30 second mark. Another Colgate turnover gave the ball back to the visitors and another foul send Kline to the foul line, where she made the Big Red a perfect 8-for-8 over the final 52 seconds of the game and handed Cornell the 74-66 victory.
 
The game didn't seem that it would be that close early on, as Cornell won the opening tip and immediately went on the attack with Aston driving the lane for the layup just before the shot clock expired. The Big Red pushed its lead to 6-0 with jumpers from Campbell and LeDuc before Colgate scored its first basket at the 17:52 mark.
 
The visitors extended its lead to 11-2 when Marshall completed a traditional three-point play with just over five minutes gone in the first half but the Raiders responded with a prolonged 13-5 run to cut the Big Red's lead to just one-point (16-15). 
 
Four consecutive points by Aston gave Cornell a little breathing room and a wide-open trey by Colgate's Katie Curtis was answered by a jumper in the lane from Kerri Moran, an offensive rebound put back from LeDuc and a layup off a steal by Campbell to make it 26-18 with 8:07 on the clock.
 
The teams traded 3-pointers with Taylor DePalma connecting for Cornell and a big defensive stop led to a bucket in transition from Moran to make it a 10-point game (31-21) with just over six minutes to go in the half.  
 
A bucket by Marshall put Cornell up, 33-21, but nine quick unanswered points made it a two possession contest.
 
A huge jumper from Campbell ended the run and Cornell closed the half on a 12-3 run to go into the half leading, 43-33. During the run, Marshall came up with a big steal that Moran converted on the other end, before Marshall knocked down two free throws.  The run ended with jumpers from Campbell and Moran sandwiched around a trey from Kriftcher.
 
Campbell opened the half with a layup, and a trey from LeDuc answered a bucket by Carole Harris, but the Raiders scored back-to-back baskets to make it a 48-39 contest.
 
Five consecutive points from Repoli cut the Big Red's lead to five points (49-44), but Aston fought for an offensive board and scored the putback to push the advantage to 51-44 with just over 14 minutes to play.
 
Harris responded for the Raiders, but an outstanding fastbreak layup from Kline off a Colgate miss and a long outlet pass from Campbell, followed by two made free throws from Campbell put the visitors up, 55-46, with 12:21 showing on the clock.
 
After trading baskets, a jumper from Aston and a layup from Campbell put Cornell back up by double-digits (59-48) but the Raiders stormed back with six unanswered points to make it a five-point game (59-54). Five five straight points by LeDuc returned the lead to 10-points once again (64-54) with just over eight minutes remaining in the game, setting up the wild finish.
 
The Big Red wraps up a three-game road trip when it travels to Fairfield on Monday, Nov. 24 to take on the Stags at Alumni Hall at 7 p.m.