ITHACA, N.Y. – For the fourth straight season, the Big Red women's basketball team has closed its non-conference slate with a winning record after downing Delaware State, 71-62, this evening in Newman Arena. Cornell never trailed and led by as many as 18 points late in the third period as it improved its record to 8-6 on the season.
 
The forward tandem of Nia Marshall and Nicholle Aston led the Big Red, as each registered a double-double. Marshall finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and two blocks, while Aston tallied 10 points, 12 rebounds and one steal.
 
Not to be outdone, the backcourt duo of Kerri Moran and Megan LeDuc were outstanding, with Moran finishing with 15 points, a career-high eight rebounds, and seven assists, while LeDuc tallied nine points, a season-high nine assists, and two steals.
 
Delaware State (3-10) was led by Mikah Aldridge and Amber Bogard with 16 and 15 points, respectively, while Najai Pollard pulled down 13 rebounds.
 
Cornell won nearly every aspect of the game, outrebounding the Hornets (41-34) and posting two fewer turnovers (13-11). The Big Red also held the edge in points in the paint (20-16), points off turnovers (9-8), and fast break points (6-0).
 
The home team shot .434 from the floor (25-53) and .462 percent from 3-point range (6-13), while holding DSU to .379 percent overall (22-58) and .316 percent from beyond the arc (6-19). Cornell also assisted on 20-of-23 baskets.
 
The Big Red jumped out to a 7-2 advantage just four minutes into the contest but a pair of Bogard jumpers, sandwiched around a layup from Aston, brought DSU back within a possession (9-6) at the 4:52 mark. The teams traded buckets before consecutive treys from Caroline Shelquist put Cornell up by double-digits (18-8) with just over one minute to play in the opening period.
 
The home team ended the first quarter with a 10-point advantage (21-11) and pushed its lead to 12 points on a jumper from Aston at the start of the second stanza. A 3-pointer from Bri Justice temporarily made the lead single digits (23-14), and the teams went back and forth before four straight points from Christine Ehland opened up a 6-0 Cornell run that made it a 14-point lead with 1:18 to go in the half.
 
Cornell eventually pushed its lead to as many as 18 points (50-32) after consecutive jumpers from Maddie Campbell and Marisa Knox and the Big Red went into the fourth period leading, 53-38.
 
The Hornets turned up the pressure in the fourth quarter, chipping away at the Cornell lead until a trey from Aldrige with 3:20 to play got the visitors back within single-digits (62-54). DSU hit two more 3-pointers down the stretch, as three of the team's six total treys came in the final 3:20 of the contest, but the Hornets could not come all the way back as the Big Red earned the 71-62 victory.
 
Cornell will get a 10-day break before opening up Ivy League play in New York City as it takes on Columbia on Saturday, Jan. 16 at 4:30 p.m. The game is part of a double-header, as the men's team will take on the Lions in the nightcap at 7 p.m.