ITHACA, N.Y. – The Cornell women's basketball team will close out its four-game stretch away from Newman Arena and play its final road contests of the regular season when it takes on Dartmouth on Friday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. in Hanover, N.H. and Harvard on Saturday, Feb. 29 at 5 p.m. in Cambridge, Mass. 

GAME INFORMATION

GAME #23: Cornell at Dartmouth
GAME TIME: Friday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m.
GAME SITE: Leede Arena (Hanover, N.H.)
SERIES RECORD: Dartmouth leads, 60-22
LAST MEETING: Dartmouth won, 67-65, on Feb. 15, 2020 (Ithaca, N.Y.)
2019-20 RECORDS: Cornell (9-13, 2-8 Ivy League), Dartmouth (8-15, 2-8 Ivy League)
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GAME #24: Cornell at Harvard
GAME TIME: Saturday, Feb. 29 at 5 p.m.
GAME SITE: Lavietes Pavilion (Cambridge, Mass.)
SERIES RECORD: Harvard leads, 71-12
LAST MEETING: Harvard won, 73-58, on Feb. 14, 2020 (Ithaca, N.Y.)
2019-20 RECORDS: Cornell (9-13, 2-8 Ivy League)*, Harvard (14-9, 5-5 Ivy League)*
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LIVE STATS: bit.ly/2HVwmrY
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*Records prior to Friday's contests.

FULL GAME NOTES

SETTING THE SCENE:

• Cornell will play its final two regular season road contests of the season when it squares off against Dartmouth on Friday and Harvard on Saturday.
• After falling to the Big Green (67-65) and the Crimson (73-58) the first time through Ivy League play, the Big Red will be looking to avenge its losses to both teams from earlier this season.
• Cornell is currently on a seven-game losing skid after losses to Yale (65-51) and Brown (77-73) last weekend and is eager to get back in the win column.
• The first time Cornell played Harvard earlier this year, the Crimson were entering the contest coming off a weekend sweep of Yale and Brown. This time, Harvard goes into the weekend on the opposite end of the spectrum, having lost its last three contests to Columbia (89-64) on Feb. 15, No. 23 Princeton (66-45) on Feb. 21, and Penn (70-48) on Feb. 22.
• Dartmouth snapped a six game losing streak with its 67-65 victory over the Big Red on Feb. 15, and after losing its last two contests to Penn (67-31) and Princeton (87-55) last weekend, the Big Green will look to use its game against Cornell to get back on the right track once again.

QUICK HITS:

• Cornell will look to get back in the win column this weekend for the first time since the Big Red defeated Brown at home, 74-67, on Jan. 31.
• Sophomore Samantha Will came out of her shell in Cornell's two games against Yale and Brown last weekend, netting a team- and career-high 16 points against the Bulldogs and following that up with a 13-point outing against the Bears.
• Will, along with Theresa Grace Mbanefo, made their first collegiate starts against Brown on Saturday, making this the third starting line-up that the Big Red has used this season.
• The Big Red had four student-athletes score in double-figures against Brown, including Laura Bagwell-Katalinich (15), Shannon Mulroy (15), Samantha Widmann (14), and Will (13).
• Widmann was just one rebound away from a double-double against the Bears, adding nine rebounds to her 14 points.
• Bagwell-Katalinich has been a scoring machine during her two seasons with the Big Red, notching double figures in 39 out of the 48 games she has played in a Cornell uniform.
• Samantha Widmann has worked her way into the top-10 all-time in Cornell women's basketball history in career offensive rebounds (4th - 216), career defensive rebounds (8th - 376), and career rebounds (592 – 10th), as well as career steals (7th - 170).
• Widmann also became the 15th student-athlete in Big Red women's basketball history to score 1,000-career points earlier this season in Cornell's contest against Columbia on Jan. 25. Her 1,114 career points rank 13th all-time in Big Red history.
• Cornell has crashed the offensive boards hard this season, currently leading the Ivy League in offensive rebounds per game (14.6).

THE SERIES VS. DARTMOUTH:

• Dartmouth holds a distinct 60-22 advantage over Cornell dating back to 1976-77, including a 35-5 record in Hanover, N.H.
• Dartmouth might be up on the Big Red in the all-time series, but Cornell is neck-and-neck with the Big Green over the past 25 meetings, holding a slim 13-12 advantage.
• The Big Red had a five-game winning streak, the longest by Cornell in the history of the series, ended in 2014-15 at Leede Arena, and the teams have split the home-and-home series in each of the last five seasons.
• Cornell will be looking to avoid a season sweep by the Big Green for the first time since the 2009-10 season after falling to the Big Green a few weeks ago.

A WIN OVER DARTMOUTH WOULD:

• Bring the Big Red's record to 10-13 overall and 3-8 in Ivy League play.
• Snap a seven-game losing streak for the Big Red.
• Give Cornell a victory over Dartmouth at Leede Arena in back-to-back years.
• Be the Big Red's first road victory since Cornell defeated St. Bonaventure, 70-42, on Dec. 29, 2019.
• Give Coach Smith 198 career victories, only two away from notching 200 for her career.

SCOUTING DARTMOUTH (8-15, 2-8 Ivy):

• In a game of momentum shifts, the Big Green defeated Cornell, 67-65, on Feb. 15 at Newman Arena on an Elle Louie lay-up with 13 seconds remaining in the contest.
• In the contest, Dartmouth shot the lights out, finishing the game shooting 61.4% from the floor.
• The Big Green has been led this season by Annie McKenna, who ranks second in the Ivy League in assists (4.2/game) and is averaging a team-best 10.9 points per game.
• McKenna is the Big Green's go-to player, averaging an Ivy League best 34.6 minutes of playing time per game.
• However, Dartmouth has the ability to be very well rounded and plays as a team, as five Big Green players scored in double figures when the two teams met earlier this season – Anna Luce (16), Elle Louie (11), Annie McKenna (11), Jimena Abejon (10), and Katie Douglas (10).
• Dartmouth has been led on the boards by Paula Lenart, whose 7.0 rebounds per game currently ranks sixth in the Ivy League.

THE SERIES VS. HARVARD:

• Harvard owns a commanding 71-12 series advantage over the Big Red dating back to 1974-75.
• Of Cornell's 12 wins over the Crimson, 11 have come in Ithaca, and the 12th was at a neutral site.
• The Big Red has never defeated Harvard at Lavietes Pavillion.
• The Big Red's last victory over Harvard came during the 2016-17 season, when Cornell won 57-52 in Ithaca, N.Y. to snap an 18-game skid against the Crimson at the time.
• The Crimson have since won the last five meetings, including the two teams' first meeting earlier this season.

A WIN OVER HARVARD WOULD:

• Be the first win ever for Cornell at Lavietes Pavillion.
• Snap a five-game losing streak to Harvard.

SCOUTING HARVARD (14-9, 5-5 Ivy):

• Harvard has been in a bit of a slump lately, having lost its last three contests to Columbia (89-64), No. 23 Princeton (66-45), and Penn (70-48).
• The Crimson's re-match with Columbia is on tap for Friday before the Big Red squares off against Harvard on Saturday.
• Friday's game between the Crimson and Big Red will be a battle on the boards between two of the best rebounding teams in the conference, as Harvard leads the Ivy League in rebounding offense (43.0/game) and defensive rebounds (28.6/game), while Cornell leads in rebounding defense (30.6/game) and offensive rebounds (14.6/game).
• Harvard won the battle on the glass the first time the two teams' met on Feb. 14, out-rebounding the Big Red, 37-24.
• Jeannie Boehm leads the Ivy League in rebounding, averaging 9.0/game.
• Freshman Lola Mullaney has led the Crimson offense, averaging 14.6 points per game.
• A three-time Ivy League Rookie of the Week this season, Mullaney averages a conference-best 3.0 made triples per game.
• As a team, Harvard has six players averaging at least 7.0 points per game – Mullaney (14.6), Boehm (9.5), Mackenzie Barta (8.7), Maggie McCarthy (7.7), Tess Sussman (7.5), and Rachel Levy (7.2).

SEASON NOTES TO KNOW:

• Samantha Widmann has started 75 and played in 101 consecutive games.
• Laura Bagwell-Katalinich and Samantha Widmann have combined to lead the team in rebounding in 21 of Cornell's 22 contests during the 2019-20 campaign.
• Laura Bagwell-Katalinich and Samantha Widmann have each scored in double-figures in 16 out of Cornell's 22 games this season. 

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.

SWITCHING THINGS UP:

The Big Red have now gone with three different starting line-ups this season, throwing different looks at the opposition. Sophomores Samantha Will and Theresa Grace Mbanefo made their way into the starting line-up for the first time of their collegiate careers against Brown on Feb. 22.
 
Senior point guard Danielle Jorgenson started a pair of games on Feb. 14 against Harvard and Feb. 15 against Dartmouth. She brings a depth of starting experience to the floor, having started 53-straight games over her sophomore and junior seasons.
 
Among these differences, junior guard Kate Sramac and senior guard/forward Samantha Widmann have been the constants, starting every game of the 2019-20 campaign.

ON THE BOARDS:

The Big Red has hit the boards hard this season, regularly outrebounding its opponents and holding them to an Ivy League-best 30.6 rebounds per game. Cornell has mastered the art of creating second chances, leading the Ivy League in offensive rebounds at 14.6 per game. In addition, the Big Red currently ranks 29th in the nation in rebounding margin, out-rebounding its opponents by an average of 7.3 rebounds per game.

SHARING THE WEALTH:

Cornell has been selfless with the basketball this season, ranking second in the Ivy League as a team in assists/game (15.5) and having four student-athletes ranked in the top-25 of the conference in this statistical category: Kate Sramac (10th – 2.8 apg), Shannon Mulroy (10th – 2.8 apg), Samantha Widmann (16th – 2.4 apg), and Laura Bagwell-Katalinich (24th – 2.0 apg). Thanks to this team effort, Cornell sits 42nd in the nation in assists/game.

STEALING THE SHOW:

Kate Sramac (2.1 spg) and Samantha Widmann (1.8 spg) have put the pressure on the opposition, forcing turnovers and collecting steals, as the pair currently ranks second and sixth, respectively, in the Ivy League in steals per game.
 
Sramac grabbed a career-high seven steals in Cornell's contest against Dartmouth on Feb. 15, a mark which ranks fourth all-time in Big Red women's basketball history for a single game. Widmann has had a knack for stealing the basketball over the course of her career, as her 170 career steals ranks seventh all-time in Cornell women's basketball history.

DYNAMIC DUO:

Laura Bagwell-Katalinich (13.4 ppg) and Samantha Widmann (13.4 ppg) have been the core of the Big Red offense this season, each scoring in double-figures 16 times this season. The pair has combined to lead the team in scoring in 18 of the Big Red's 22 contests in 2019-20. Both Bagwell-Katalinich and Widmann have scored 20+ points four times this year.

REBOUNDING MAGNETS:

Laura Bagwell-Katalinich (7.1 rpg) and Samantha Widmann (6.6 rpg) have been key contributors to Cornell's strong rebounding presence, as one of the two has led the team in rebounding in 21 of Cornell's 22 contests this season. The pair currently ranks fifth and seventh, respectively, in the Ivy League in rebounds per game.

WIDMANN SURPASSES 1,000:

With her second basket in Cornell's contest against Columbia on Jan. 25, 2020, Samantha Widmann became the 15th player in Big Red women's basketball history to score 1,000 career points. Widmann has now scored 1,114 points for her career, the 13th-most in program history.

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 (4th - 216), career defensive rebounds (8th - 376), and career rebounds (592 – 10th), as well as career steals (7th - 170).

WILL-POWER:

Samantha Will stepped up for the Big Red in its two contests against Yale on Feb. 21 and Brown on Feb. 22. Against the Bulldogs, Will had already surpassed her career-high for points by halftime, notching 10 points by the half en route to a team- and game-high 16 points. Her previous career-high was eight points at Harvard during the 2018-19 season.
 
After this performance, Will made her way into the starting line-up against Brown and scored in double-figures for the second-straight game, scoring 13 points. She averaged 31.5 minutes of floor time over the Big Red's two contests last weekend after averaging 6.7 minutes per game over 11 appearances beforehand.

NCAA TEAM RANKINGS:

As a team, Cornell ranks within the top-100 of the NCAA in the following statistical categories:
• 29th in rebounding margin (+7.3)
• 42nd in assists per game (15.5)
• 67th in forced turnovers per game (18.4)
• 82nd in field goal percentage (.421)
• 96th in steals per game (8.9)

NCAA INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS:

• Samantha Widmann is making her presence known on the national stage, ranking in 54th in all of Division I in field goal percentage (.520).
• Kate Sramac has worked her way into the top-100 nationally in steals per game, sitting 84th at 2.1 steals per game.

IVY LEAGUE INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS:

The following Big Red student-athletes rank among the best in the Ivy League in the following statistical categories:
• Samantha Widmann – 2nd in field goal percentage (.520), 2nd in minutes played (34.2/game), 6th in steals (1.8 spg), 7th in rebounding (6.6 rpg), 8th in scoring (13.4 ppg)
• Kate Sramac – 2nd in steals (2.1 spg), 10th in assists (2.8 apg), 13th in 3-PT field goals per game (1.3)
• Laura Bagwell-Katalinich – 3rd in free throw percentage (.753), 5th in rebounding (7.1 rpg), 6th in field goal percentage (.467), 8th in scoring (13.4 ppg)
• Shannon Mulroy – 10th in 3-PT field goals per game (1.5), 10th in assists (2.8 apg)

A CLASS OF HER OWN:

Laura Bagwell-Katalinich was 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.
 
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.

MULROY SWEEPS IVY LEAGUE PLAYER AND ROOKIE OF THE WEEK AWARDS:

After a spectacular performance in the Cornell women's basketball team's thrilling 80-77 overtime win over Columbia on Saturday, Jan. 25, freshman point guard Shannon Mulroy swept the Ivy League's weekly awards, being named both the conference's Player and Rookie of the Week.
 
With this accomplishment, Mulroy not only received the first Player and Rookie of the Week honors of her career, but she is only the second Big Red women's basketball student-athlete ever to earn both awards in the same week (Nia Marshall). In addition to receiving recognition from the Ivy League, Mulroy was also named the conference's Player of the Week by College Sports Madness.
 
The freshman made it rain, pouring in a game- and career-high 27 points and sinking seven 3-point baskets, just as many as the entire Columbia team. She shot an impressive 8-of-16 from the floor and 7-of-14 from long range, and her seven 3-pointers in a contest ranks third all-time in Cornell women's basketball history. She also went a perfect 4-of-4 from the charity stripe in some of the biggest moments of the contest.

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.

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 197 career victories, just three 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 round out the regular season when it returns to Newman Arena to host Penn on Friday, March 6 at 6 p.m. and No. 23 Princeton on Saturday, March 7 at 5 p.m. in Ithaca, N.Y.
 
Friday's game will serve as National Girls and Women in Sports Day, while Saturday will be the Big Red's Senior Day.