ITHACA, N.Y. – The Cornell women's basketball team (6-8, 1-2) had multiple student-athletes put together season-best performances against Yale (9-6, 2-1), but it ultimately wasn't enough to slow down the Bulldogs, who defeated the Big Red, 62-44, on Saturday afternoon at Newman Arena in Ithaca, N.Y.
Leading Cornell's top performers on the day was senior guard Samantha Will, who netted a game-high and season-best 14 points, just two points shy of her career-high of 16, which just so happened to come the last time the Big Red squared off against Yale on Feb. 21, 2020. Will was feeling it from deep, knocking down a career-best three 3-pointers and shooting 4-of-6 from the floor in the contest.
Junior guard Ania McNicholas and freshman guard Lexi Green each added nine points, with Green's point total marking a new career-high. McNicholas' well-rounded play is quickly becoming her signature, as she also pulled down a team-high six rebounds and corralled a game-high four steals. Junior guard Shannon Mulroy dished out a team-high six assists and senior forward Theresa Grace Mbanefo added three assists of her own to go along with six points, four rebounds, a game-high three blocks, and two steals.
It took a little while for the Big Red to settle in, however, as a slow Cornell start proved to be detrimental in the long run. Yale won the tip and went on to score the first six points of the contest, with a Cornell timeout with 6:30 remaining in the first quarter doing little to slow down the Bulldogs. Yale built a 17-5 lead at the end of the first period of play, as the Big Red offense struggled to get going. The Bulldogs took advantage of Cornell's shooting struggles in the first quarter, as Yale shot .385 while limiting the Big Red to a .133 percentage.
Yale built its lead to as many as 17 in the second quarter, leading Cornell, 27-10, with 3:57 remaining in the first half. A McNicholas steal followed by a pair of converted free throws after getting fouled shooting a transition lay-up provided a spark for Cornell, who went on an 8-0 run over the next minute and a half to cut Yale's lead to nine, 27-18.
The Big Red picked up its pressure, both in the half court and in the full, and it proved effective. After a Will jumper, back-to-back steals and finishes on the other end by McNicholas and Green gave Cornell new life. Cornell held the advantage in steals in the contest, collecting 12 as compared to Yale's eight, as the Big Red trailed by nine, 32-23, at the half.
Similar to the first half, however, an 8-0 Yale run out of the locker room extended the Bulldogs' lead back to 17, 40-23, and the Big Red were unable to recover. Yale led by double figures for the remainder of the contest, finishing the game having shot .426 from the floor while limiting the Big Red to a .294 showing.
Yale was led by Alex Cade and Christen McCann, who scored 14 and 11 points, respectively. Jenna Clark divvied out 11 assists, matching Cornell's 11 assists as a team. Yale had 20 helpers in the contest.
The Cornell women's basketball team won't have to wait long for a chance to get back in the win column, as the Big Red will take on Columbia on Monday at 2 p.m. at Schiller Court at Levien Gymnasium in New York, N.Y.
