WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Cornell women's basketball team (1-1) held its own for three quarters, but the Demon Deacons continually extended its lead, culminating with a big fourth quarter that allowed Wake Forest (2-0) to pull away from the Big Red for the 64-42 victory on Friday night at the LJVM Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Juniors Ania McNicholas and KC Carter each posted a team-high and career-best eight points in the loss, with Carter knocking down both 3-pointers that she attempted. McNicholas filled the stat sheet, adding a team-high and career-best four steals, four rebounds, and a career-high three assists.
In total, Cornell had six student-athletes score at least five points, with Theresa Grace Mbanefo scoring seven, Olivia Snyder netting six, and Samantha Will and Shannon Mulroy scoring five apiece. Will led the team in rebounding, pulling down a career-high seven boards. Mulroy paced the Big Red in assists with four, and Mbanefo and Snyder stuffed three shots each. This marked the second-straight contest that Mbanefo posted three blocks, and Snyder's three blocks were a career-best.
Cornell's defense inside against a team with significant size helped keep the Big Red in the contest for as long as is it did, and Mbanefo was one of the guiding forces behind it. She and Snyder, along with Jada Davis, who notched a block of her own, helped the Big Red out-block Wake Forest, 7-2, in the contest. Mbanefo matched up against Christina Morra, who scored 19 points in the Demon Deacons' season opener on Tuesday against Mercer, and held her to just six points for the contest while forcing her into six turnovers.
But where Cornell limited the Demon Deacons' offense inside, Wake Forest's Jewel Lloyd had other ideas from the perimeter. Lloyd shot the lights out, scoring 32 points on 12-of-16 shooting, including 7-of-11 from behind the arc. Two of her 3-pointers in particular were daggers, coming at the end of the second and third quarters with time expiring in what were times where the Big Red was building momentum.
With Lloyd at the forefront, Wake Forest shot .426 from the floor as compared to the Big Red's .327. Wake Forest also took advantage on the glass, out-rebounding Cornell, 40-26, including 14-8 on the offensive glass, creating second chances for the Demon Deacons to capitalize on.
Wake Forest jumped out to a 7-2 lead to open the game, but a McNicholas transition 3-pointer from Mulroy and a Snyder mid-range jumper in the paint knotted the score up, 7-7. The Demon Deacons re-established itself, however, closing the quarter on an 8-2 run to take a 15-9 lead at the end of the first.
Cornell bounced back to start the second, outscoring the Demon Deacons, 6-2 over the first 5:08 of the second quarter. A Summer Parker-Hall 3-pointer capped off the run, as the freshman forward continues to show she's not afraid to step out and shoot the three.
With the score at 17-15, Wake Forest once again put its foot on the gas, however, going on a 9-0 run to extend its lead to nine, 26-15. Back-to-back Mulroy buckets re-ignited the Big Red and cut Wake Forest's lead back to seven, 26-19, but a Lloyd 3-pointer sent Cornell into the half down 10, 29-19.
The Big Red came out of the locker room strong, going on an 8-3 run over the first 4:05 of the third quarter to get as close as five, 32-27. A McNicholas steal on an inbound pass and a Will foul-line jumper helped Cornell inch closer. Wake Forest stopped the Big Red in its tracks, ending the period on a 9-1 run to build a 43-30 advantage.
The Demon Deacons pulled away for good in the fourth, outscoring the Big Red 21-12 and going on to the 64-42 victory.
The Cornell women's basketball team will be back in action on Sunday when it faces off against ETSU at 2 p.m. at Brooks Gym in Johnson City, Tenn.
