ITHACA, N.Y. – The Cornell women's basketball team will hit the court one last time before it breaks for finals when it heads to nearby Syracuse for a clash with the Orange on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, N.Y.
Game Information:
Cornell at Syracuse
DATE/TIME: Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021 at 7 p.m.
SITE: Carrier Dome – Syracuse, N.Y.
RECORDS: Cornell 4-5, 0-0 Ivy League / Syracuse 5-4, 0-1 ACC
BROADCAST: ACCNX (es.pn/3EwZemi)
RADIO: ESPN 97.7
LIVE AUDIO: bit.ly/3EwN4K8
STATS: cuse.com (bit.ly/3rHAMeu)
GAME NOTES
What's on Tap:
• The Cornell women's basketball team will play one final game before it takes a brief pause for finals when it heads north to Syracuse for a clash with the Orange on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, N.Y.
• The Big Red will return to the court again on Sunday, Dec. 19 when it hosts Washington State at 3 p.m. at Newman Arena in Ithaca, N.Y., with two of the Big Red's next three games taking place at home. After a 1 p.m. Dec. 21 contest at Duquesne, Cornell will host Clarion at Newman Arena on Dec. 28 at 5 p.m. in its final tune-up before Ivy League play begins.
• Cornell's game against Syracuse is the second contest against an ACC opponent for the Big Red this season, with the Big Red having played Wake Forest on Nov. 12 in Winston Salem, N.C. The Demon Deacons came out on top by a score of 64-42.
How to Watch:
• The game against Syracuse will be broadcast through the ACC Network Extra, which is the digital platform for the ACC Network hosted by the ESPN app. The platform is subscription-based, but can be accessed by logging in with your cable provider, provided that your cable package includes the ACC Network. Several popular streaming mediums, such as YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, and others lend access to the ACC Network Extra.
Last Time Out:
• Cornell fell in each of its two contests last week, losing to UMass Lowell, 53-44, on Wednesday, Dec. 1 at home and, most recently, Niagara, 76-71, on Saturday, Dec. 4 in Niagara Falls, N.Y.
• The Big Red put up a heck of a fight in the second half, having trailed by as many as 19 in the second quarter and getting to as close as four points, 71-67, after KC Carter drained a huge 3-pointer with 56 seconds remaining in the contest. Niagara was able to hang on for the win, however.
• Multiple Big Red student-athletes had career days against the Purple Eagles, headlined by Olivia Snyder's first 20-point performance of her career. Snyder racked up a game-high and career-best 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting, going a perfect 8-of-8 from the charity stripe. She added a game-high 12 rebounds for her third double-double of the season.
• Ania McNicholas and Theresa Grace Mbanefo joined Snyder in double figures, scoring 16 and 10 points, respectively. This marked the fifth time in nine games this season that the Big Red had at least three student-athletes score in double figures.
• McNicholas' 16 points marked a career-high, and she didn't stop there, adding a career-best four assists, four rebounds, and three steals. This marks the fifth time in eight games this season that McNicholas has recorded at least three steals in a contest.
• Mbanefo added seven rebounds and a pair of blocks to go along with her 10 points.
• Freshman guard Lexi Green settled in against the Purple Eagles, scoring a career-high eight points on 4-of-8 shooting. Green also notched a career-best two assists and two rebounds in a collegiate-best 18 minutes of action.
The Series vs. Syracuse:
• Cornell and Syracuse have met 20 times dating back to 1981-82, with the Orange holding a 16-4 advantage in the all-time series.
• Wednesday's match-up will be the first time the two teams have met in seven years, with the last contest between the two teams occurring during the 2014-15 season.
• The Orange has won seven-straight against the Big Red, including a 76-59 victory in the teams' last meeting on Dec. 28, 2014 in Syracuse, N.Y.
• Cornell's last win over Syracuse came during the 2003-04 season, when the Big Red defeated the Orange, 82-62, on Dec. 20, 2003 in Ithaca, N.Y.
Cornell vs. the ACC:
• Cornell is 4-25 all-time against members of the Atlantic Coastal Conference.
• All four wins have come against Syracuse (4-16), while the Big Red has also squared off against Boston College (0-1), Georgia Tech (0-2), Miami (0-2), Pittsburgh (0-2), Virginia Tech (0-1), and Wake Forest (0-1).
• Syracuse will be the second ACC foe that the Big Red has gone up against this season, having also played Wake Forest on Nov. 12 in Winston Salem, N.C. in what ended in a 64-42 victory for the Demon Deacons.
• Cornell is seeking its first victory over an ACC opponent since Dec. 20, 2003, when it defeated the Orange, 82-62, in Ithaca, N.Y.
Scouting Syracuse:
• Syracuse owns a 5-4 overall and 0-1 ACC record so far this season, but enters Wednesday's contest having won three-straight.
• The Orange recently knocked off No. 18 Ohio State, 97-91, in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Dec. 1, 2021 at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, N.Y.
• Syracuse followed up this performance with a completely dominating 116-65 victory over Central Connecticut State at the Carrier Dome on Sunday to improve to 5-1 at home this season.
• The Orange set program records for points scored in a half (65) and a game (116).
• Teisha Hyman and Chrislyn Carr have put up impressive numbers this season. Hyman poured in 30 points against Ohio State and recorded the fifth triple-double in Syracuse women's basketball history against CCSU with 27 points, 15 assists, and 11 steals. With eight boards as well, she was just two shy of the first quadruple double in Power 5 women's basketball history.
• Chrislyn Carr has now scored at least 20 points in four-straight games, including a 23 point performance against Ohio State, 22 of which came in the fourth quarter. Carr's 22 points in a quarter set a program record.
• Graduate transfer Naje Murray recorded her 1,000th career point in Syracuse's victory over CCSU, 90 of which have been at Syracuse.
• In total, four Orange student-athletes are averaging double figures this season, including Chrislyn Carr (15.9 ppg), Teisha Hyman (15.3 ppg), Christianna Carr (13.0 ppg), and Naje Murray (11.4 ppg).
• Hyman also leads the team in assists per game (4.6), steals per game (2.6), and rebounds per game (6.2). Alaysia Styles is also averaging 6.2 boards per game.
A Win Over Syracuse Would:
• Be Cornell's first win over an ACC school since the 2003-04 campaign, when head coach Dayna Smith guided the Big Red to a 82-62 victory over Syracuse on Dec. 20, 2003 in Ithaca, N.Y.
• Snap Syracuse's three-game winning streak.
• Hand the Orange just its second loss of the season at the Carrier Dome.
• Even the Big Red's record to 5-5 on the season.
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner:
• Led by Theresa Grace Mbanefo's 1.9 blocks per game, a mark which ranks third in the Ivy League and 31st nationally, the Big Red is serving up blocks for every meal of the day, ranking 39th in all of Division I as a team in blocked shots (40).
• Cornell's 4.44 blocks per game ranks second in the Ivy League.
• In addition to Mbanefo, Olivia Snyder (0.8 bpg) and Summer Parker-Hall (0.6 bpg) sit among the top-12 of the conference in blocks per game, ranking ninth and 11th, respectively.
• Mbanefo's five blocks against UAlbany on Nov. 24 ranks third all-time in in Cornell women's basketball history for a single game.
Tough D:
• Cornell is limiting its opponents to an average of just 57.1 points per game, a mark which ranks second in the Ivy League and 69th in all of Division I.
Second Chances:
• The Big Red has been relentless on the offensive glass so far this season, ranking second in the conference as a team in offensive rebounds per game (13.8).
• Olivia Snyder (50) and Theresa Grace Mbanefo (41) have accounted for 43 percent of the team's offensive rebounds (90-of-211), which is a key reason why the pair ranks among the top-five of the conference in rebounds per game.
• Snyder sits second in the Ivy League at 8.6 per game, while Mbanefo ranks fourth 8.3 per game.
• At the same time, Cornell is limiting its opponents to just 33.9 rebounds per game, a mark which ranks third in the Ivy League.
Sharing the Spotlight:
• The Big Red's offensive production this season has been balanced, as Cornell has had at least three players score in double-figures in five of its nine games so far this year.
• In addition, five different Cornell players have notched the team-high for Cornell in scoring this season, led by Theresa Grace Mbanefo, Shannon Mulroy, and Olivia Snyder each pacing the team in scoring on three occasions. KC Carter has recorded the team-high twice, with Ania McNicholas notching the team-high once.
Stealing the Show:
• Ania McNicholas has had a knack for getting her hands on the basketball so far this season, as the junior ranks second in the Ivy League in steals per game (2.9).
• She's led Cornell in steals in seven of Cornell's nine games this season, collecting at least three steals on five occasions.
• McNicholas ranks among the top-40 nationally in both steals (34th – 23) and steals per game (35th – 2.9).
The Big 2-0-0:
• Dayna Smith, The Rebecca Quinn Morgan '60 Head Coach of Women's Basketball, who is in her 20th year at the helm of the program, notched her 200th career victory on Nov. 17 with the Big Red's 67-57 victory over Binghamton in Vestal, N.Y.
• With her 200th victory, Smith became only the sixth coach in Ivy League women's basketball history to amass 200 career victories at an Ivy school.
• The winningest coach in Cornell women's basketball history and the sixth-winningest in Ivy League history, she is the second-longest tenured active women's basketball coach in the conference (Harvard's Kathy Delaney-Smith, 40 seasons).
• She is also fourth all-time in years served as a head coach in the Ivy League.
NCAA Individual Rankings:
• Theresa Grace Mbanefo ranks 31st in blocked shots (17), 42nd in double doubles (3), and 47th in blocked shots per game (1.9).
• Ania McNicholas ranks 34th in steals (23) and 35th in steals per game (2.9).
• Olivia Snyder ranks 42nd in double doubles (3) and 47th in rebounds (77).
Ivy League Individual Rankings:
• Theresa Grace Mbanefo ranks first in the Ivy League in field goal percentage (.511), third in blocks per game (1.9), fourth in rebounds per game (8.3), and eighth in points per game (12.2).
• Ania McNicholas ranks second in the conference in steals per game (2.9).
• Olivia Snyder ranks second in the conference in rebounds per game (8.6), fifth in minutes played per game (33.0), eighth in assists per game (2.2), and ninth in blocked shots per game (0.8).
• Shannon Mulroy ranks third in the conference in assists per game (2.9), fifth in free throw percentage (.632), and eighth in minutes played per game (32.1).
• Samantha Will ranks seventh in the conference in minutes played per game (32.2).
Team Leaders:
• Points – Theresa Grace Mbanefo, 12.2 points per game
• Field Goals Made – Theresa Grace Mbanefo, 5.2 per game
• Field Goal Percentage – Theresa Grace Mbanefo, .511
• 3-point Field Goals Made – KC Carter, 1.2 per game
• 3-point Field Goal Percentage – KC Carter, .423
• Free Throw Percentage – Olivia Snyder, .783 (18-of-23)
• Rebounding – Olivia Snyder, 8.6 rebounds per game
• Assists – Shannon Mulroy, 2.9 assists per game
• Assist-to-Turnover Ratio – Samantha Will, 1.25
• Blocks – Theresa Grace Mbanefo, 1.9 blocks per game
• Steals – Ania McNicholas, 2.9 steals per game
• Minutes – Olivia Snyder, 33.0 minutes per game
A Look Back in Time:
• The last time the Big Red was in action in 2019-20, Cornell finished the season with a 10-16 overall record and a 3-11 mark in conference play, finishing seventh in the Ivy League.
• The Big Red will look to get back to the Ivy League Tournament this year for the first time since the 2018-19 season, when the team qualified for its first conference tournament after its creation in 2016-17.
Starting from (Almost) Scratch:
• The Cornell women's basketball team has a new look this season, returning only 27 percent of its minutes, 27 percent of its scoring, and 22 percent of its rebounding from the 2019-20 season.
• Of the 14-player roster, eight suit up for the Big Red for the first time in the 2021-22 campaign.
Oh Captain, My Captain (s):
• Senior forward Theresa Grace Mbanefo, senior guard Samantha Will, and junior guard Shannon Mulroy have been elected as tri-captains of the team for the 2021-22 season.
• Mulroy is the team's top returning scorer from 2019-20 when she averaged 8.3 points, 2.5 assists, and 2.1 rebounds per game. She appeared in all 26 games and made 23 starts while averaging 25.2 minutes of playing time per game, the most among all returners. She led the Big Red in 3-point makes (35) and shooting percentage from behind the arc (33.0) in her rookie season. She also ranked second on the team in assists and free throw percentage (.750) in 2019-20.
• A guard with a calming presence on the floor, Will came into her own at the end of the 2019-20 season when she scored double-digits in back-to-back games for the first time of her career against Yale on Feb. 21, 2020 and Brown on Feb. 22, 2020.
• Mbanefo is one of two forwards that returns from the 2019-20 roster. She played in all 26 games as a sophomore, making four starts and averaging 18.2 minutes per contest. She led Cornell in blocks (18) and ranked third on the team in rebounding, averaging 5.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per contest.
The Lay of the Land:
• In addition to Mbanefo, Mulroy, and Will, junior guard Ania McNicholas, junior guard KC Carter, and junior forward Anna Hovis return invaluable collegiate experience to a roster that is laden with newcomers.
• Junior transfer Olivia Snyder adds an offensive mentality and knack for scoring the basketball to the Big Red roster.
• Sophomore guards Mia Beam, Val Garcia-Martinez, and Kaya Ingram, as well as freshmen Jada Davis, Lexi Green, Arianna Linoxilakis, and Summer Parker-Hall all take the floor for Cornell for the first time this season.
Ivy Preseason Rankings:
• The Big Red was picked sixth overall in the 2021-22 Ivy League Preseason Media Poll with 41 voter points.
• The 2019-20 Ivy League Regular Season Champion Princeton was once again picked as the favorite to win the league this year, collecting 12 of a possible 16 first place votes and 122 points.
• Penn, who returns the 2019-20 Ivy League Rookie of the Year and first team All-Ivy selection Kayla Padilla, was chosen second with three first place votes and 108 points.
• The race for third, fourth, and fifth was close from there, with Columbia being picked third (87 points), Yale being chosen fourth (82 points), and Harvard's single first place vote helping the Crimson come in fifth (81 points).
• Dartmouth (29 points) and Brown (27 points) rounded out the poll in seventh and eighth, respectively.
Up Next:
• The Cornell women's basketball team will host Washington State on Sunday, Dec. 19 at 3 p.m. at Newman Arena in Ithaca, N.Y.
