PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Although the Cornell women's basketball team's contest against Brown came down to a few crucial plays in the final minute of the game, it was the Bears' smoking hot 3-point shooting in the first half that laid the foundation for the Bears to defeat the Big Red, 77-73, on Saturday evening at the Pizzitola Sports Center in Providence, R.I.
With 53 seconds left in the contest, the Big Red and the Bears' found themselves all knotted up, 73-73. After Cornell came up empty on its ensuing possession, the Big Red defense forced Brown's Justine Gaziano to miss a 3-pointer with 13 seconds left on the clock and corralled the rebound. As Cornell attempted to push the ball down the floor for a final shot, Gaziano came away with a steal and drove to the rim, making the go-ahead lay-up with four seconds left to play.
With Brown leading, 75-73, Cornell got a great look on the other end, as Samantha Widmann fed the ball to Laura Bagwell-Katalinich on the left block off the inbounds pass. Bagwell-Katalinich went up strong and drew contact, but no whistle sounded and play continued. Brown ultimately regained possession of the basketball, going on to secure the 77-73 victory.
While the game came down to the final minute of play, Brown's 3-point shooting in the first half was what put them in a position to emerge victorious in the first place. The Bears made 15 3-point baskets in the contest, including 12 in the first half, finishing the game just one 3-pointer away from tying its program record. Gaziano and Maddie Mullin combined for nine of Brown's 12 3-pointers in the first two quarters, helping the Bears shoot 60.0% (12-of-20) from long range through the first 20 minutes of play.
Led by Samantha Will's and Samantha Widmann's seven first quarter points apiece, the Big Red held a 23-21 advantage over the Bears at the end of the first period. Widmann also notched four offensive rebounds in the first quarter, helping Cornell out-rebound Brown, 12 to three, including eight to one on the offensive glass, in the opening 10 minutes.
The Bears came out guns blazing to open the second, going on an 8-0 run to take a 29-23 lead. That's when the Big Red press was put into play, and it quickly frazzled the Bears, speeding them up and getting them out of sorts. The full-court pressure enabled Cornell to go on a 9-2 run of its own, tying the game up, 32-32, halfway through the quarter. But that's when Brown's hot hand took over, as the Bears sank four 3-pointers in the next five minutes to help build a 49-41 halftime lead. Shannon Mulroy had a big second quarter for the Big Red, scoring 10 points and pacing Cornell with 15 points at the half to keep the Big Red within reach.
After both teams went scoreless for the first 2:45 of the third quarter, Theresa Grace Mbanefo and Will took over the game for Cornell, combining to score the first 10 points of the quarter for the Big Red. The duo allowed Cornell to go on a 10-4 run and bring the deficit to within two, 53-51, at the 4:08 mark in the third quarter.
At this point, it became the Laura Bagwell-Katalinich show, as the senior went on to score the next nine Cornell points to get the Big Red within one, 61-60, by the end of the third quarter. Her nine-straight points included a tip-in lay-up at the third quarter buzzer.
Brown opened the fourth quarter on an 8-4 run, but that's when Cornell put its nose to the grindstone, scoring six-straight points to take a 70-69 lead with 3:31 left to play. Mbanefo, Widmann, and Will pieced together the run, each scoring a basket in the time frame. Both teams would go back-and-forth, with the Big Red holding a 73-72 lead with 1:34 remaining. The last 1:34 of the contest unfolded in Brown's favor, who went on to a 77-73 victory.
Paced by Bagwell-Katalinich's and Mulroy's team-high 15 points apiece, four Big Red student-athletes scored in double figures. Mulroy netted all of her 15 points in the first half, while Bagwell-Katalinich scored 13 of her 15 in the second half. Widmann was one rebound shy of a double-double, notching 14 points and nine rebounds.
Making her first collegiate start, Will scored 13 points, marking the second-straight contest in which she's accomplished this feat. Mbanefo also made her way into the starting line up for the first time of her career on Saturday evening, finishing the game with eight points and seven rebounds.
Brown was paced by Gaziano (28) and McKenna Dale (25), who both notched 20-point performances. Along with Mullin's 12 points, the trio combined for 65 of Brown's 77 points. Dominique Leonidas finished the contest with seven points and nine assists.
The Cornell women's basketball team (9-13, 2-8) will continue its four-game road stretch when it travels to Dartmouth on Friday, Feb. 28 for a 7 p.m. tip in Hanover, N.H. and Harvard on Saturday, Feb. 29 for a 5 p.m. start in Cambridge, Mass.
