ITHACA, N.Y. – Although Columbia came out on top in the Cornell women's basketball team's Ivy League opener last weekend, the Big Red doesn't have to wait long to seek revenge against the Lions, as Cornell welcomes Columbia to Newman Arena in Ithaca, N.Y. on Saturday, Jan. 25 for a 1 p.m. tip off.

GAME INFORMATION

GAME #14: Cornell vs. Columbia
GAME TIME: Saturday, Jan. 25 at 1 p.m.
GAME SITE: Newman Arena (Ithaca, N.Y.)
SERIES RECORD: Cornell leads, 50-27
LAST MEETING: Columbia won, 76-66, Jan. 18, 2020 (New York, N.Y.)
2019-20 RECORDS: Cornell (7-6, 0-1 Ivy League), Columbia (10-4, 1-0 Ivy League)
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FULL GAME NOTES

THE MATCHUP:

Columbia and Cornell met in the Big Apple last weekend in what was the start of the Ivy League season for both teams, and Columbia drew first blood, defeating Cornell, 76-66, at Levien Gymnasium after outscoring the Big Red 28-15 in the fourth quarter. With the Lions now having won the last two meetings between the two squads dating back to last season, Cornell will look to get back at Columbia this weekend and pick up its first Ivy League victory of the 2019-20 campaign. They will need to shake the Lions' confidence in order to do so, as Columbia enters the game having won nine of its last 10 contests.

QUICK HITS:

• New Jersey natives Samantha Widmann and Shannon Mulroy paced the Big Red in last weekend's loss to Columbia, both registering a team-high 16 points.
• With this performance, Widmann is now just four points away from scoring 1,000 for her Big Red career. She also filled the stat sheet against Columbia, collecting a team-high seven rebounds, team-high five assists, two steals, and a block.
• Mulroy's 16 points marked a new career-high for the freshman, who drained four 3-pointers on the game and put the Big Red on her back in the opening quarter of play, scoring 10 of the Big Red's first 15 points.
• Widmann has worked her way into the top-10 all-time in Cornell women's basketball history in career offensive rebounds (6th - 195) and career defensive rebounds (8th - 356), as well as career steals (9th - 151).
• Senior forward Laura Bagwell-Katalinich was recently named one of 30 candidates for the Senior CLASS Award in collegiate women's basketball.
• Bagwell-Katalinich has been a scoring machine during her two seasons with the Big Red, notching double figures in 34 out of the 39 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 13 games it has played so far this season. The Big Red currently owns a +12.9 rebounding margin, a mark which ranks sixth in all of Division I.
• 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 50-27 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 18 outings, including eight of the last nine in Ithaca, N.Y.
• Columbia is currently on a two-game win streak over the Big Red dating back to last season, including a 76-66 win over Cornell in New York last weekend.

A WIN OVER COLUMBIA WOULD:

• Improve the Big Red to 8-6 overall and 1-1 in Ivy League play.
• Be Cornell's ninth victory over the Lions at Newman Arena in the last 10 home meetings.
• Be the Big Red's 51st win over Columbia, improving the program to 51-27 all-time vs. the Lions.   
• Give Coach Smith a 22-14 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 nine of its last 10 games to bring its record to 10-4 on the season and 1-0 in Ivy League play.
• The Lions have had no trouble coming from behind this year, as five of its wins have come after trailing in the fourth quarter.
• Columbia was hot in the matchup against Cornell last weekend, shooting over 50 percent from the field and knocking down 10 threes, including going 5-of-9 in the in the final period of play. Four of these five triples came on consecutive Columbia possessions.
• Columbia has been led so far this season by Abbey Hsu and Sienna Durr, who are averaging 12.4 and 12.2 points per game, respectively. The freshman-sophomore duo scored a game-high 17 points apiece in the Lions' victory over Cornell.
• 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 (6.2/game) and Mikayla Markham leads the squad in assists (4.2/game).

SEASON NOTES TO KNOW:

• All seven of the Big Red's wins have come when it has held its opponent to fewer than 60 points.
• All seven of the Big Red's wins have been by double-figures, including six wins by at least 20 points.
• Samantha Widmann has started 66 and played in 92 consecutive games.
• Kate Sramac 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 13 contests this season, while Widmann has posted double-digit points in 10 of 13 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 13 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 rim this season, outrebounding its opponent in 11 of its 13 contests while holding its opponents to an Ivy League-best 28.8 rebounds/game. Even more impressive, the Big Red leads the Ivy League in offensive rebounds (14.5/game) and currently ranks sixth in the nation and first in the conference in rebounding margin, out-rebounding its opponents by an average of 12.9 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-20 of the conference in this statistical category: Shannon Mulroy (5th – 3.2 apg), Kate Sramac (5th – 3.2 apg), Samantha Widmann (14th – 2.5 apg), and Laura Bagwell-Katalinich (19th – 2.1 apg). Thanks to this team effort, Cornell sits 30th in the nation in assists/game (16.7).

POINTS IN THE PAINT:

Cornell has found a way to generate high percentage shots through its 13 contests, and the team has capitalized on them, currently leading the Ivy League and ranking 27th in the nation in field goal percentage (.451). The Big Red is averaging 35.4 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 ranks second in the Ivy League and ranks 99th in the nation in steals per game (2.2).
 
Senior guard/forward Samantha Widmann has also had a knack for stealing the basketball over the course of her career, as her 151 career steals ranks ninth all-time in Cornell women's basketball history.

DYNAMIC DUO:

Laura Bagwell-Katalinich (15.3 ppg) and Samantha Widmann (13.5 ppg) have been the core of the Big Red offense this season, combining to lead the team in scoring in 12 of Cornell's 13 contests. The pair has scored in double figures 11 and 10 times, respectively. 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 (8.1 rpg) or Bagwell-Katalinich (7.7 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 996 points for her career and is just four 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 offensive rebounds (6th - 195) and career defensive rebounds (8th - 356), as well as career steals (9th - 151).

NCAA TEAM RANKINGS:

As a team, Cornell ranks within the top-75 of the NCAA in the following statistical categories:
• 6th in rebounding margin (+12.9)
• 27th in field goal percentage (.451)
• 30th in assists per game (16.8)
• 37th in scoring defense (57.1 ppg)
• 43rd in rebounds per game (41.7)
• 55th in field goal percentage defense (.366)

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:
• Samantha Widmann – 52nd in field goal percentage (.537), 86th in minutes played per game (35.0)
• Laura Bagwell-Katalinich – 69th in field goal percentage (.519)
• Kate Sramac – 99th in steals/game (2.2)

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 – 2nd in steals (2.2 spg), 5th in assist/turnover ratio (1.4), 5th in assists (3.2 apg)
• Samantha Widmann – 2nd in field goal percentage (.537), 2nd in minutes played (34.8/game), 3rd in rebounding (8.1 rpg), 9th in scoring (13.5 ppg), 8th in steals (1.6 spg), 14th in assists (2.5 apg)
• Laura Bagwell-Katalinich –  2nd in free throw percentage (.750), 3rd in field goal percentage (.519), 4th in rebounding (7.7 rpg), 6th in scoring (15.3 ppg)
• Shannon Mulroy – 5th in assists (3.2 apg), 9th in assist/turnover ratio (1.0), 13th in 3-PT field goals per game (1.5)
• Theresa Grace Mbanefo – 9th in blocks (0.9 bpg)

A CLASS OF HER OWN:

Laura Bagwell-Katalinich has been selected as one of 30 candidates for the 2019-20 Senior CLASS Award in collegiate women's basketball. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School ®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.
 
With this honor, Bagwell-Katalinich becomes only the second student-athlete in Cornell women's basketball history to be named a candidate for the Senior CLASS Award, joining Allyson DiMagno '14, who was in the running for the award for the 2013-14 season.

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 13 games so far this season, including three 20-point performances. She has now scored in double-digits in 34 of the 39 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 continue its three-game home stand when it hosts Brown on Friday, Jan. 31 at 6 p.m. and Yale on Saturday, Feb. 1 at 5 p.m. at Newman Arena in Ithaca, N.Y.