ITHACA, N.Y. – After stepping away from competition for the University study and holiday breaks, the Cornell women's basketball team will hit the court for the first time since Dec. 10 when it plays a pair of road contests at St. Bonaventure on Sunday, Dec. 29 at 1 p.m. and #19/21 West Virginia on Tuesday, Dec. 31 at 2 p.m.

GAME INFORMATION

GAME #10: Cornell at St. Bonaventure
GAME TIME: Sunday, Dec. 29 at 1 p.m.
GAME SITE: Reilly Center (Olean, N.Y.)
SERIES RECORD: Cornell leads, 7-6
LAST MEETING: Cornell won, 58-44, Dec. 31, 2018 (Ithaca, N.Y.)
2019-20 RECORDS: Cornell (5-4, 0-0 Ivy League), St. Bonaventure (3-9, 0-0 A10)
Live Video (ESPN+): es.pn/363JTbm
Live Stats: bit.ly/2EOrSlq

GAME #11: Cornell at #19/21 West Virginia
GAME TIME: Tuesday, Dec. 31 at 2 p.m.
GAME SITE: WVU Coliseum (Morgantown, W.Va.)
SERIES RECORD: West Virginia leads, 1-0
LAST MEETING: West Virginia won, 93-52, Nov. 18, 2007 (Morgantown, W.Va.)
2019-20 RECORDS: Cornell (5-4, 0-0 Ivy League), West Virginia (9-1, 0-0 Big 12)
Live Video (WV Mountaineer TV): bit.ly/2Zjr9ST
Live Audio (WV Mountaineer TV): bit.ly/2tIOq4R
Live Stats: bit.ly/2SjSP8F
Tickets: bit.ly/35SsB0V

FULL GAME NOTES

QUICK HITS:

• The Big Red returns to the court for the first time since Dec. 10 after devoting time to its studies during the University study break and stepping away from competition for the holiday break.
• In its last outing against Duquesne on Dec. 10, Cornell fought hard, pulling the game to within five points with 1:35 remaining in the fourth quarter after trailing by as many as 15, but the Dukes prevailed, defeating Cornell, 72-62.
• Cornell was led in the loss by Laura Bagwell-Katalinich, who notched 17 points and 11 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season (thru nine games). Her five double-doubles this season leads the Ivy League and ranks 34th in the nation.
• Bagwell-Katalinich has been a scoring machine during her two seasons with the Big Red, notching double figures in 31 out of the 35 games she has played in a Cornell uniform.
• Cornell has defended the paint with pride this season, out-rebounding its opponent in eight of the nine games it has played so far this season. The Big Red currently owns a +14.1 rebounding margin, a mark which ranks fifth in all of Division I.
• The Big Red will look to snap a two-game losing streak when it squares off against its second-consecutive Atlantic-10 opponent, the Bonnies of St. Bonaventure.
• A win over the Bonnies would mark the second-consecutive year that the Big Red has defeated an Atlantic-10 opponent, as Cornell also downed St. Bonaventure last season, 58-44.
• The Big Red will be put to the test against #19/21 West Virginia, as Cornell prepares to face its first ranked opponent of the season. This marks the second-straight season that the Big Red will take on a top-25 team, as Cornell played #23 Minnesota during the 2018-19 campaign.
• The Big Red will be seeking its first win over a nationally-ranked team in program history.
• Cornell has found success on the road so far this season, boasting a 3-1 record as the visiting team.

THE SERIES VS. ST. BONAVENTURE:

• Cornell and the Bonnies first met during the 1983-84 season, but the teams have met just 13 times in program history.
• Cornell holds a slim 7-6 series advantage after defeating the Bonnies last season to close out the 2018 calendar year, as the Big Red prevailed, 58-44, on Dec. 31, 2018 at Newman Arena.
• Last season's Cornell victory snapped a four-game win streak for St. Bonaventure over the Big Red.
• Cornell has had two separate three-game winning streaks in the series, winning three in a row from 1983-86 and again with wins in 1993-94, 1998-99, and 2000-01.

A WIN OVER ST. BONAVENTURE WOULD:

• Improve the Big Red's record to 6-4 on the season.
• Mark the second-consecutive season that Cornell beat St. Bonaventure.
• Be the second-straight season that the Big Red has defeated an A10 opponent.
• Improve Cornell's road record to 4-1.
• Improve Cornell to 8-6 in the all-time series.
• Improve Cornell to 10-17 against the A10.

CORNELL VS. THE A10:

• Cornell has a 9-17 record all-time against the current members of the A10.
• St. Bonaventure will be the second and final A10 team that the Big Red faces this season, as Cornell fell to Duquesne, 72-62, on Dec. 10.
• The Big Red holds the series advantage against St. Bonaventure (7-6) and is tied with Davidson (1-1).
• Dayton (0-1), Duquesne (0-5), Fordham (1-2), Richmond (0-1) and UMass (0-1) all have a winning record vs. the Big Red.

SCOUTING ST. BONAVENTURE:

• After posting only one win in its first nine games to open the season, the Bonnies have begun to find its rhythm, recording victories in two of its last three contests.
• St. Bonaventure finds its season record at 3-9, with its most recent wins coming against Oakland (80-66) on Dec. 15 and Wright State (57-56) on Dec. 20.
• The Bonnies have stepped up to the free throw line with poise this season, currently ranking 12th in all of Division I and second in the A10 in free throw percentage (0.774)
• St. Bonaventure has also found success from behind the arc, currently sitting atop the A10 with George Washington in three point field goal percentage (0.351).
• The Bonnies have been led so far this season by Asianae Johnson and Dajah Logan who are averaging 11.7 and 10.7 points per game, respectively.

THE SERIES VS. #19/21 WEST VIRGINIA:

• The matchup between the Big Red and Mountaineers will be only the second time the two teams have met.
• West Virginia won the only prior meeting, 93-52, on Nov. 18, 2007 in Morgantown, W.Va.

A WIN OVER #19/21 WEST VIRGINIA WOULD:

• Be the first win for the Big Red over a nationally-ranked opponent in program history.
• Be the first win for the Big Red over a Big 12 opponent in program history.
• Be the first victory for Cornell over the Mountaineers in program history.
• Be the first victory over a Big 12 school for head coach Dayna Smith.

CORNELL VS. THE BIG 12:

• Cornell has only squared off against the Big 12 four times in program history, and has fallen in each of those contests.
• The Big Red's most recent Big 12 matchup came earlier this season when Cornell played TCU in Fort Worth, Texas on Nov. 10, falling 59-49. The Big Red have not fallen in a road contest since.

SCOUTING #19/21 WEST VIRGINIA:

• #19/21 West Virginia notched a pair of victories over nationally-ranked opponents in the month of December to secure its spot among the national rankings.
• The Mountaineers defeated then #10 Mississippi State, 71-65, on Dec. 8 in Starkville, Miss., and took down then #19 Michigan State, 63-57, on Dec. 21 in Orlando, Fla. as part of the Florida Sunshine Classic. With a 71-69 victory over Syracuse on Dec. 22, West Virginia was crowned the Florida Sunshine Classic Tournament Champion.
• Following the win over Syracuse, redshirt senior guard Tynice Martin and sophomore forward Kari Niblack were named to the 2019 Florida Sunshine Classic All-Tournament Team. Martin poured in a season-high 24 points against the Orange.
• Redshirt junior guard Kysre Gondrezick also posted a 20-point scoring effort, notching 23 points and being named the tournament's MVP.
• Gondrezick (17.1), Martin (14.9), and Niblack (10.7) have paced the Mountaineers so far this season, all averaging double-figures.

STUDYING THE OPPOSITION:

Head coach Dayna Smith's teams have translated its successes in the classroom to the basketball court following Cornell's two-week study break, posting a record of 11-6 in the first game back from exams. Historically, the Big Red holds a 16-22 record coming out of the study break since the 1980-81 season.

PROTECTING THE RIM:

The Big Red has protected the glass through its first nine games, outrebounding its opponent in eight of its first nine contests while holding its opponents to an Ivy League-best 28.8 rebounds/game. Even more impressive, the Big Red currently ranks fifth in the nation and first in the Ivy League in rebounding margin, out-rebounding its opponents by an average of 14.1 rebounds per game.

SHARING THE WEALTH:

Cornell has been selfless with the basketball so far this season, ranking second in the Ivy League as a team in assists/game (16.7) and having four student-athletes ranked in the top-25 of the conference in this statistical category: Shannon Mulroy (4th – 3.6 apg), Kate Sramac (8th – 3.0 apg), Laura Bagwell-Katalinich (20th – 2.2 apg), and Samantha Widmann (20th – 2.2 apg). Thanks to this team effort, Cornell sits 31st in the nation in assists/game (16.7).

POINTS IN THE PAINT:

Cornell has found a way to generate high percentage shots through its first nine contests, and the team has capitalized on them, currently leading the Ivy League and ranking 37th in the nation in field goal percentage (.451). In its first nine games, the Big Red is averaging 36.0 points in the paint per game, accounting for more than half of the team's scoring.

STEALING THE SHOW:

Kate Sramac has put the pressure on the opposition, forcing turnovers and collecting steals, as the junior guard currently leads the Ivy League and ranks 81st in the nation in steals per game (2.3).

DYNAMIC DUO:

Laura Bagwell-Katalinich (16.8 ppg) and Samantha Widmann (12.2 ppg) have been the core of the Big Red offense this season, leading the team in scoring in eight of Cornell's nine contests. The pair has scored in double figures eight and six times, respectively, so far this season, and Bagwell-Katalinich has notched three 20+ point performances.
 
The senior co-captains have also been key contributors to Cornell's strong rebounding presence, as either Bagwell-Katalinich (8.9 rpg) or Widmann (7.6 rpg) have led the team in rebounding in every game of the 2019-20 campaign. Bagwell-Katalinich has amassed double-digit rebounds on five occasions, while Widmann has on three.

CLOSING IN ON 1,000:

Senior guard/forward Samantha Widmann is closing in on a milestone – scoring 1,000-career points. Widmann has currently scored 930 points for her career and is just 70 points away from becoming the 15th member of Cornell's 1,000 point club.

NCAA TEAM RANKINGS:

As a team, Cornell ranks within the top-50 of the NCAA in the following statistical categories:
• 5th in rebounding margin (+14.1)
• 31st in assists per game (16.7)
• 37th in field goal percentage (.451)
• 40th in rebounds per game (42.9)
• 42nd in field goal percentage defense (.352)
• 45th in scoring defense (57.0 ppg)

NCAA INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS:

Several Big Red student-athletes are making their presence known on the national stage, ranking in the top-100 of the NCAA in the following statistical categories:
• Laura Bagwell-Katalinich – 34th in double-doubles (5 – through nine games), 57th in field goal percentage (.536), 71st in rebounds per game (8.9), 88th in points per game (16.8)
• Samantha Widmann – 64th in field goal percentage (.529), 90th in minutes played/game (34.8)
• Kate Sramac – 81st in steals/game (2.3)

IVY LEAGUE INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS:

Through three weeks of play, the following Big Red student-athletes rank among the best in the Ivy League in the following statistical categories:
• Kate Sramac – 1st in steals (2.3 spg), 4th in assist/turnover ratio (1.4), 8th in assists (3.0 apg), 12th in 3-PT field goals per game (1.3)
• Laura Bagwell-Katalinich – 2nd in scoring (16.8 ppg), 2nd in field goal percentage (.536), 3rd in free throw percentage (.767), 3rd in rebounding (8.9 rpg)
• Samantha Widmann – 2nd in minutes played (34.7/game), 3rd in field goal percentage (.529), 5th in rebounding (7.6 rpg), 10th in scoring (12.2 ppg)
• Theresa Grace Mbanefo – 3rd in blocks (1.3 bpg)
• Shannon Mulroy – 4th in assists (3.6 apg), 8th in assist/turnover ratio (0.9), 15th in 3-PT field goals per game (1.2)
• Halley Miklos – 14th in rebounding (5.3 rpg)

BAGWELL-KATALINICH NAMED IVY LEAGUE PLAYER OF WEEK:

For the first time of her career, Cornell women's basketball senior forward Laura Bagwell-Katalinich was named the Ivy League Player of the Week, the conference announced on Monday, Nov. 25. In addition to being honored by the conference, Bagwell-Katalinich was also deemed the College Sports Madness Ivy League Player of the Week.
 
Between Cornell's two contests against Niagara and Delaware State, Bagwell-Katalinich averaged 25.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game. In addition, she shot 13-of-14 from the charity stripe over the two games, including a perfect 10-of-10 against Niagara.
 
Bagwell-Katalinich has scored in double figures in eight out of Cornell's nine games so far this season, including three 20-point performances. She has now scored in double-digits in 31 of the 35 games she has played in a Cornell uniform.

RECAPPING THE 2018-19 SEASON:

The Big Red finished the season with a 12-14 overall record and a mark of 6-8 in the Ivy League. After winning three of its final four contests, the Big Red finished in a tie for fourth place in the Ivy League and clinched a spot in the Ivy League Tournament for the first time since the tournament's inception three years ago.

WHAT WAS LOST:

• The Big Red graduated one senior from the 2018-19 squad in co-captain Samantha Clement, also losing one letter winner as well as one non-letter winner.

WHAT REMAINS:

• Cornell returns all five starters and nine letter winners from a year ago. 
• The team returns its top scorer (16.1 ppg) and rebounder (7.9 rpg) from 2018-19 in Laura Bagwell-Katalinich, as well as its second leading scorer (10.8) and rebounder (6.9), Samantha Widmann.
• Widmann and Bagwell-Katalinich will serve as captains for the 2019-20 season.
• Widmann enters her third term as team captain, becoming only the second player in program history (Karen Force '04) to serve as a three-time team captain.
• Bagwell-Katalinich returns to the team after becoming only the 11th player in program history to be named first team All-Ivy League.
• Senior point guard Danielle Jorgenson returns invaluable experience, starting 53 consecutive games over her sophomore and junior seasons.
• Kate Sramac and Halley Miklos are back and ready to make an even bigger impact this season after making 19 and 17 starts, respectively, a season ago.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK:

•The Big Red added four freshmen to the 2019-20 squad.
• The group hails from four different states – California, Virginia, New Jersey, and New York.
• The group consists of one point guard (Shannon Mulroy), two guards (Ania McNicholas, KC Carter), and one forward (Anna Hovis).

IVY PRESEASON RANKINGS:

•  The Big Red was picked fifth overall in the 2019-20 Ivy League Preseason Media Poll with 60 voter points.
• This marked vast improvement from last season, when the Big Red were selected eighth in the preseason poll.
• Princeton and Penn tied for first in the poll, each collecting 125 voter points after sharing the regular season Ivy League crown in 2018-19.
• Princeton held a slight advantage in the voting after winning the 2019 Ivy League Tournament, receiving 10 first place votes as compared to Penn's seven.
• Harvard (95) and Yale (90), were selected to finish third and fourth, respectively.
• Columbia (47), Dartmouth (47), and Brown (23) rounded out the bottom three.

HEAD COACH DAYNA SMITH:

• In her 18th season at the helm of the Big Red program, head coach Dayna Smith ranks fourth overall in Ivy League women's basketball history in years served as a head coach in the conference.
• Only one active coach, Harvard's Kathy Delaney-Smith (37th season), ranks ahead of Cornell's Smith.
• Smith is the winningest coach in Cornell history, and reached the 150-win mark for her career with the team's overtime victory vs. Dartmouth on Jan. 30, 2016.
• She currently stands at 193 career victories.

FRESH PERSPECTIVES:

Coach Smith welcomed two new assistant coaches to the staff for the 2019-20 season - Claire Mattox (Washington College '14) and Joe Rutigliano (Canisius '15).

UP NEXT:

The Big Red will play its final non-conference game of the 2019-20 season when it welcomes East Tennessee State to Newman Arena in Ithaca, N.Y. on Saturday, Jan. 4 at 1 p.m.