ITHACA, N.Y. - Experience to set the tone, and fresh new faces to help push the envelope – this is the combination that describes the Cornell backcourt this season, and will help push the Big Red's game to the next level.

With five returning letter winners in Dylan Higgins, Danielle Jorgenson, Kate Sramac, Samantha Widmann, and Samantha Will, Cornell welcomes back a strong core of guards who are ready to control the tempo on offense and get after it on defense. Freshmen KC Carter, Ania McNicholas, and Shannon Mulroy offer their own skills and talents, adding more weapons to the Big Red's arsenal.

Point Guards

A point guard, in a lot of ways, is like a quarterback – calling the plays, running the offense, and leading the five players that are on the floor. This can be quite the challenge at times, but Jorgenson, Mulroy and Sramac have what it takes to run the Big Red offense with poise and control.

A three-year letterman and two-year starter for the Big Red, Jorgenson averaged a team-high 32.5 minutes per game in 2017-18 and 29.8 minutes per contest in 2018-19. She has the ability to find the open teammate while taking care of the basketball, posting the sixth-best assist to turnover ratio in the Ivy League last season (1.6). She also led the Big Red and ranked ninth in the conference in assists/game (3.2) and handed out at least five assists six times during the season. Having a senior point guard is invaluable in terms of experience, and Jorgenson offers that, and so much more, to the Big Red.

"As a senior point guard, Danielle is a really solid person to get us into our offense," said Dayna Smith, the Rebecca Quinn Morgan '60 Head Coach of Women's Basketball. "She's smart on defense, and she's very good with our defensive schemes and presses."

Freshman Shannon Mulroy will also step into the point guard role for Cornell this year. A native of Mount Laurel, N.J., Mulroy was the Olympic Conference, Burlington County Times, and Sun Newspaper Player of the Year in 2019. She led Lenape High School to a pair of SJ Group 4 Championships in 2016 and 2019, and was named to the All-State Group 4 second-team in 2019. Mulroy is slick when it comes to handling the basketball, while also having the ability to be a scoring threat.

Sramac doubles as a point guard and shooting guard, playing whatever position she needs to in order to make her team the best it can be. Sramac worked her way into the starting line-up as a sophomore and never looked back, starting the final 19 games last season. She averaged 4.6 points and 2.6 rebounds per game in 2018-19 and ranked 15th in the Ivy League in steals/game. After relentlessly working on her craft in the offseason, Sramac is ready to make an even bigger impact this season.

"Kate has really stepped up her ability to score," said Smith. "It's almost like the game has slowed down for her, so she has really been leading us in play making and assists. She has also shown the ability to knock down the three, and we are looking for big things from her."

Guards

The Big Red returns two veteran guards in senior co-captain Widmann and senior Higgins.

Widmann, who has the ability to play the forward position as well, has been an integral part of the team since she stepped on the court as a freshman, appearing in all 26 games in 2016-17 and starting every game for the Big Red over the course of the last two seasons. Widmann is often the glue that keeps Cornell together, averaging a team-high 31.2 minutes per contest a season ago.

Widmann plays with grit and intensity and has a knack for stealing the basketball. She has led the Big Red in steals over the course of the last two seasons, and her 2.2 steals per game in 2017-18 not only ranked second in the Ivy League, but her 60 total steals that season sits fifth all-time in Cornell history for a single season. Widmann is a scoring, passing, and rebounding threat as well, making her a versatile player. She has averaged double-digit points for the last two seasons, averaging a team-high 14.5 points per game in 2017-18 and 10.8 points per game in 2018-19. She also led Cornell in field goal percentage (.455) and ranked second on the team in points per game, rebounds per game (6.8), assists per game (2.3), and free throw percentage (.649) last season.

"I'm hoping for big things from Sam," said Smith. "She has the ability to score more and we are going to need that from her. She plays both positions, guard and forward, and she excels at that. That is something we are going to have to continue to ask of her."

Higgins will also be a familiar face this season after lettering in each of the last two seasons and seeing action in 24 games last year. Higgins' athleticism is undeniable and she has the ability to make big plays in crunch time. While averaging 2.6 points per game for the season, she scored in double-digits in the Big Red's must-win season finale against Dartmouth last year, propelling Cornell to a victory and a spot in the Ivy League Tournament. Higgins will help the Big Red push its tempo this season.

"Dylan is really good in the open court, so if we are going to be a transition team, she really showcases herself in those scenarios," said assistant coach Val Klopfer. "She runs the floor extremely hard and looks for opportunities in the open court. Defensively, she's lengthy, she has good instincts, and she makes a difference for us with her foot speed."

Will returns for her sophomore season after serving as a spark off the bench during her freshman campaign, making 23 appearances a season ago. Will recorded a career-high eight points against Harvard on March 8, while collecting seven assists and six steals last year. She has the ability to give Cornell a presence both from beyond the arc and in the paint this season.

"Sam Will is a tremendous three-point shooter, and we've seen an uptick in that" said Smith. "She's somebody that has worked hard on her game, and she's able to use her size to score inside. She's definitely strengthened her ball handling as well."

Freshmen McNicholas and Carter will add even more depth to Cornell's lineup of guards. A sharp-shooter from San Jose, Calif., McNicholas helped Archbishop Mitty win the 2018 National Championship. She earned All-WCAL First Team All-League honors as a senior after helping her team to the CCS Open Division Championship and WCAL Championship in 2019. She also had an impressive junior year, being named All-WCAL Second-Team All-League, All-Bay Area honorable mention, and All-CCS honorable mention.

"Ania played at a very good high school and was taught things that you really can't teach – instincts of taking charges, getting steals, and taking angles on the defensive end of the floor," said Smith. "That has been a very pleasant surprise for us. Offensively, she can hit shots, run the floor in transition, and she's not afraid of getting in the paint. She does some really nice things."

Carter is a pure scorer, having scored over 2,000 career points the Holderness School. A Brooklyn, N.Y. native, Carter was a McDonald's All-America nominee in 2019. She was also a two-time NEPSAC Class D Player of the Year and NEPSAC Finals MVP in 2018 and 2019.

With a healthy mix of experienced returners and hungry newcomers composing the Cornell guards this season, the Big Red backcourt will be a force to be reckoned with this year.

The Cornell women's basketball team will open the 2019-20 campaign on Friday, Nov. 8 against UAlbany at 7 p.m. at SEFCU Arena in Albany, N.Y.

Women's Basketball Outlook Schedule

Thursday, Oct. 31 – Part One, 2018-19 Round Up and a Look Ahead
Friday, Nov. 1 – Part Two, Leadership
Monday, Nov. 4 – Part Three, Guards
Tuesday, Nov. 5 – Part Four, Forwards