ITHACA, N.Y. – The Big Red women's basketball team used a solid defensive effort to earn its first win of the season over UAlbany, 48-34, this evening in Newman Arena. The 34 points scored by the Great Danes were the fewest by an opponent during head coach Dayna Smith's tenure, and the fewest by a Big Red opponent since Coppin State scored 33 in a Cornell victory during the 2001-02 season.
 
The win evens Cornell's record at 1-1 on the year, while the Great Danes slip to 0-2.
 
The Big Red was led by Laura Bagwell-Katalanich, who registered her first career double-double with 14 points and 16 rebounds, the most rebounds by a Cornell player since Allyson DiMagno tallied 15 vs. Princeton during the 2013-14 season. Bagwell-Katalanich filled out the stat line with four assists, three steals and two blocked shots. Samantha Widmann also posted double-digits with 10 points to go along with two assists and two steals, while Halley Miklos finished with nine points on 4-of-6 shooting. Point guard Danielle Jorgenson played nearly a complete came (39 minutes) and scored six points while handing out four assists, with just one turnover on the night.    
 
Cornell held the visitors to just 28 percent shooting overall (14-50) and a mere 16.7 percent from beyond the arc (2-12) while forcing 23 Albany turnovers. The Big Red also held the 41-33 advantage on the boards. Only one Great Dane finished in double-digits, as Heather Forster posted an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double.
 
Neither team shot particularly well in the first quarter but with Cornell clinging to a slim one-point lead, Widman knocked down a jumper off a pass from Jorgenson to put the Big Red up, 7-4, at the first break. The Big Red pressed its lead to 9-4 early in the second quarter on a jumper from Bagwell-Katlanich, but UAlbany hung in the game and eventually took a 13-11 lead on a 3-pointer from Kyara Frames at the 4:51 mark. Bagwell-Katlanich scored on Cornell's next possession to open up a 6-0 run that helped the Big Red take a 20-17 lead into halftime.
 
The Great Danes put together a small run to start the third, taking its final lead of the contest, 21-20, with 8:39 to go in the stanza, but back-to-back layups from Widmann and Miklos gave the home team a lead it would not relinquish. The Big Red eventually pushed its advantage to double-digits (40-29) at the 6:29 mark of the fourth quarter and then held off UAlbany's frantic final run en route to the 48-34 victory.
 
The Big Red travels to in-state rival Colgate for a 7 p.m. contest in Hamilton on Thursday, Nov. 15.