ITHACA, N.Y. – The Big Red women's basketball team ran its winning streak to three games as it pulled away late in the second half to earn the 58-49 victory over Marshall on Wednesday evening at Newman Arena. With the win, Cornell improves to 3-2 overall, while handing the Thundering Herd its first loss of the season at 3-1.

Forward Nia Marshall recorded a new season-high with 18 points and grabbed six rebounds. Marshall's counterpart, sophomore forward Nicholle Aston registered her first career double-double with a career-high 16 points and 10 rebounds, despite playing only 28 minutes due to foul trouble. Aston was a perfect 8-for-8 from the floor, setting a new school record for field goal percentage in a single game (1.000), besting the previous record, held by Allie Fedorowicz (11/21/2009 vs. Tennessee State) and Allie Munson (1/24/2009 vs. Columbia) who each posted an .889 field goal percentage on 8-of-9 shooting. Senior guard Christine Kline also finished with 10 points and a career-high six assists, while junior guard Maddie Campbell matched a career-high with eight rebounds.  

The Big Red never lost the lead after halftime and took control a little past the midway point of the second half. Cornell extended a lead to 11 points (51-40) after a Kline trey with 6:30 to play and the Herd never got back within six.

The second half was a clinic in offensive efficiency for the Big Red, shooting 54 percent from the floor and getting layups at the end of a number of long possessions. Three easy buckets came in the final four minutes of the game as the home team kept its distance, with Aston scoring a pair of layups to complete her 8-of-8 day from the floor.

Cornell ended the evening with assists on 20 of its 25 baskets.

The Big Red defense was also spectacular all game, limiting Marshall to 32 percent shooting after halftime and 35 percent for the game. When the Herd missed, Cornell cleaned up the glass, holding a significant 41-30 rebounding advantage against the bigger Thundering Herd squad.

Marshall was led by Leah Scott's 21 points and 10 rebounds, as the only Herd player in double-digits. 

The teams traded seven leads in the first half, with neither team taking a lead of more than six points. Aston scored eight points and grabbed six rebounds in 16 productive minutes, while Marshall had six points against her namesake and Kline and Kerri Moran combined for seven points and six assists.

Cornell dominated the bigger Marshall squad, holding a 22-15 edge on the backboards and allowing the visitor just one offensive rebound, that coming in the waning minutes of the first half. That tone allowed the Big Red to overcome 35 percent shooting in the first half.

Marshall got on the board first with a 3-pointer on its first possession, but Cornell snatched the lead away and went up as many as six (19-13) after Campbell found Moran for a 3-pointer from the right wing at the 6:20 mark.

The Herd went on a 9-0 run to regain its advantage momentarily at 22-19, but that just triggered a 6-0 run the other way and the Big Red led at the break 25-24.

Cornell returns to action on Saturday when it travels to Bucknell for a 2 p.m. contest at Sojka Pavilion.