ITHACA, N.Y. – With its non-conference schedule complete, the Cornell women's basketball team will turn its focus to conference play as it prepares to open Ivy League competition at Columbia on Saturday, Jan. 18 at 3 p.m. at Levien Gymnasium in New York City.

GAME INFORMATION

GAME #13: Cornell at Columbia
GAME TIME: Saturday, Jan. 18 at 3 p.m.
GAME SITE: Levien Gymnasium (New York, N.Y.)
SERIES RECORD: Cornell leads, 50-26
LAST MEETING: Columbia won, 65-57, Jan. 26, 2019 (New York, N.Y.)
2019-20 RECORDS: Cornell (7-5, 0-0 Ivy League), Columbia (9-4, 0-0 Ivy League)
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FULL GAME NOTES

THE MATCHUP:

After defeating ETSU, 71-43, in its last outing on Jan. 4, 2020, the Cornell women's basketball team enters Saturday's contest with a 7-5 overall record, marking its seventh winning non-conference record in the last eight seasons. The Big Red will be looking to quiet the ferocious Lions, who have won eight of its last nine contests en route to a 9-4 overall record, including a 6-1 mark in Levien Gymnasium.

QUICK HITS:

• Cornell defeated ETSU, 71-43, in convincing fashion in its last outing on Jan. 4, matching the Big Red's largest margin of victory (28) for the 2019-20 campaign.
• The Big Red held the Bucs to just 18 second half points, marking the third time this season that Cornell has held an opponent to less than 20 points in a half.
• Laura Bagwell-Katalinich (16 points, 10 rebounds) and Samantha Widmann (15 points, 17 rebounds) both recorded double-doubles in the victory, marking the first time that two Cornell players notched a double-double in the same game since Nia Marshall and Nicholle Aston did so in a 71-62 victory over Delaware State on Jan. 6, 2016.
• Kate Sramac also scored in double-figures, recording 12 points and scoring in double-digits for the second straight game.
• Bagwell-Katalinich has been a scoring machine during her two seasons with the Big Red, notching double figures in 34 out of the 38 games she has played in a Cornell uniform.
• Cornell has defended the paint with pride this season, out-rebounding its opponent in 11 of the 12 games it has played so far this season. The Big Red currently owns a +14.3 rebounding margin, a mark which ranks third in all of Division I.
• Heading into Saturday's contest, senior guard/forward Samantha Widmann is just 20 points away from scoring 1,000 for her career.
• Dayna Smith, the Rebecca Quinn Morgan '60 Head Coach of Women's Basketball, is now just five wins away from amassing 200 for her career. She stands as the winningest coach in Big Red women's basketball history.

THE SERIES VS. COLUMBIA:

• The Big Red have historically been successful against the Lions, holding a 50-26 series advantage over Columbia dating back to the 1975-76 season when the team represented Barnard College.
• Cornell dominated the series throughout the 1990s, winning 17 of the 20 matchups from 1990-91 to 1999-2000, including a series-high 12 straight from 1993 to 2000. 
• Currently, the Big Red has won 14 of the last 17 outings, including four of the last five in New York City.
• The two teams split its two contests a season ago, with Columbia winning the last meeting, 65-57, at Levien Gymnasium on Jan. 26, 2019.

A WIN OVER COLUMBIA WOULD:

• Improve the Big Red to 8-5 overall and 1-0 in Ivy League play.
• Be Cornell's fourth victory at Levien Gymnasium in the last five road matchups against Columbia.
• Be the Big Red's 51st win over Columbia, improving the program to 51-26 all-time vs. the Lions.   
• Give Coach Smith a 22-13 record against the Lions.
• Give Coach Smith 196 career victories, only four away from notching 200 for her career.

SCOUTING COLUMBIA:

• After losing three of its first four contests, Columbia flipped a switch and has won eight of its last nine to bring its record to 9-4 on the season.
• This marks the third time in the last five seasons that the Lions have won at least nine games heading into Ivy League play.
• Columbia is an impressive 6-1 at home this season.
• As a team, the Lions lead the Ivy League in field goal percentage defense, limiting teams to a 0.247 shooting percentage from the floor. Columbia also ranks second in the Ivy League in blocked shots, registering 4.46 blocks per game.
• Columbia has been led so far this season by Abbey Hsu and Sienna Durr, who are averaging 12.0 and 11.8 points per game, respectively.
• The Lions have utilized a balanced attack, as six student-athletes on Columbia's roster are averaging at least 7.0 points per game.
• Kaitlyn Davis leads the team in rebounding (6.5/game) and Mikayla Markham leads the squad in assists (4.2/game).

SEASON NOTES TO KNOW:

• The Big Red is 7-2 when allowing fewer than 60 points.
• Cornell is 7-2 when leading at halftime.
• The Big Red is 7-0 when its final margin of victory is at least 11 points.
• Samantha Widmann has started 65 consecutive games.
• Kate Sramac leads the Ivy League in steals per game (2.3) and has recorded at least one steal in every game this season.
• Laura Bagwell-Katalinich has scored in double figures in 11 out of Cornell's 12 contests this season, while Widmann has posted double-digit points in nine of 12 games. The pair has also combined to lead the team in rebounding in every contest of the 2019-20 campaign.

NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS:

With its 7-5 record in non-conference play, the Big Red has secured a winning non-conference record in seven of the last eight seasons.

CONSISTENCY IS KEY:

The Big Red has stuck with the same starting-five in all 12 contests that it has played this season. Freshman point guard Shannon Mulroy, junior guard Kate Sramac, senior guard/forward Samantha Widmann, junior forward Halley Miklos, and senior forward Laura Bagwell-Katalinich have gotten the starting nod for the Big Red every time it has taken the floor this season.

PROTECTING THE RIM:

The Big Red has protected the glass through its first 12 games, out-rebounding its opponent in 11 of its first 12 contests while holding its opponents to an Ivy League-best 28.5 rebounds/game. This trend held true against ETSU, as the Big Red out-rebounded the Bucs, 51-25, including 23-6 on the offensive glass. Even more impressive, the Big Red currently ranks third in the nation and first in the Ivy League in rebounding margin, out-rebounding its opponents by an average of 14.3 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 (16.6) and having four student-athletes ranked in the top-20 of the conference in this statistical category: Shannon Mulroy (5th – 3.2 apg), Kate Sramac (5th – 3.2 apg), Samantha Widmann (16th – 2.3 apg), and Laura Bagwell-Katalinich (19th – 2.2 apg). Thanks to this team effort, Cornell sits 31st in the nation in assists/game (16.6).

POINTS IN THE PAINT:

Cornell has found a way to generate high percentage shots through its first 12 contests, and the team has capitalized on them, currently leading the Ivy League and ranking 29th in the nation in field goal percentage (.452). In its first 12 games, the Big Red is averaging 36.5 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 80th in the nation in steals per game (2.3).
 
Senior guard/forward Samantha Widmann has also had a knack for stealing the basketball over the course of her career, as her 149 career steals ranks ninth all-time in Cornell women's basketball history.

DYNAMIC DUO:

Laura Bagwell-Katalinich (15.8 ppg) and Samantha Widmann (13.3 ppg) have been the core of the Big Red offense this season, combining to lead the team in scoring in 11 of Cornell's 12 contests. The pair has scored in double figures 11 and nine times, respectively, so far this season. Bagwell-Katalinich has notched three 20+ point performances, while Widmann has posted two.
 
The senior co-captains have also been key contributors to Cornell's strong rebounding presence, as either Widmann (8.2 rpg) or Bagwell-Katalinich (8.1 rpg) have led the team in rebounding in every game of the 2019-20 campaign. Bagwell-Katalinich has amassed double-digit rebounds on six occasions, while Widmann has on four.

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 980 points for her career and is just 20 points away from becoming the 15th member of Cornell's 1,000 point club.

MOVING ON UP:

Samantha Widmann has worked her way into the top-10 all-time in Cornell women's basketball history in career defensive rebounds (8th - 353) and career offensive rebounds (8th - 191), as well as career steals (9th - 149).

NCAA TEAM RANKINGS:

As a team, Cornell ranks within the top-75 of the NCAA in the following statistical categories:
• 3rd in rebounding margin (+14.3)
• 25th in scoring defense (55.5 ppg)
• 27th in rebounds per game (42.8)
• 29th in field goal percentage (.452)
• 31st in assists per game (16.6)
• 35th in field goal percentage defense (.354)
• 59th in scoring margin (10.8)
• 73rd in 3-point field goal defense (.282)

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 – 48th in double-doubles (6 – through 12 games), 64th in field goal percentage (.524)
• Samantha Widmann – 57th in field goal percentage (.532), 99th in minutes played per game (34.6)
• Kate Sramac – 80th in steals/game (2.3)

IVY LEAGUE INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS:

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), 5th in assists (3.2 apg), 15th in 3-PT field goals per game (1.3)
• Samantha Widmann – 2nd in field goal percentage (.532), 3rd in minutes played (34.3/game), 3rd in rebounding (8.2 rpg), 9th in scoring (13.3 ppg), 10th in steals (1.6 spg)
• Laura Bagwell-Katalinich –  2nd in free throw percentage (.760), 3rd in field goal percentage (.524), 4th in rebounding (8.1 rpg), 4th in scoring (15.8 ppg)
• Shannon Mulroy – 5th in assists (3.2 apg), 10th in assist/turnover ratio (1.0), 15th in 3-PT field goals per game (1.3)
• Theresa Grace Mbanefo – 7th in blocks (1.0 bpg)

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 11 out of Cornell's 12 games so far this season, including three 20-point performances. She has now scored in double-digits in 34 of the 38 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 195 career victories, just five away from reaching 200 for her career.

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 women's basketball team will square off against Columbia for the second-straight weekend when it welcomes the Lions to Newman Arena in Ithaca, N.Y. for a 1 p.m. contest on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020.