ITHACA, N.Y. – The Cornell women's basketball team will begin to embark on a three-game home stand spanning just six days when it hosts Dartmouth on Friday, Feb. 18 at 6 p.m. and Harvard on Saturday, Feb. 19 at 5 p.m. at Newman Arena in Ithaca, N.Y.
Game Information:
Cornell vs. Dartmouth
DATE/TIME: Friday, Feb. 18, 2022 at 6 p.m.
SITE: Newman Arena – Ithaca, N.Y.
RECORDS: Cornell 8-12, 3-6 Ivy League / Dartmouth 2-20, 1-9 Ivy League
BROADCAST: ESPN+ (es.pn/3rRgFKl)
STATS: cornellbigred.com (bit.ly/3bTZ3oo)
TICKETS: bit.ly/3zB0kf4
SPECTATOR POLICY
GAME NOTES
Cornell vs. Harvard
DATE/TIME: Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022 at 5 p.m.
SITE: Newman Arena – Ithaca, N.Y.
RECORDS: Cornell 8-12, 3-6 Ivy League / Harvard 12-10, 6-4 Ivy League
BROADCAST: ESPN+ (es.pn/34C7UuZ)
STATS: cornellbigred.com (bit.ly/3bTZ3oo)
TICKETS: bit.ly/3zB0kf4
SPECTATOR POLICY
GAME NOTES
What's on Tap:
• The Cornell women's basketball team will epitomize the phrase "home sweet home" over the course of the next six days, as the Big Red will open a three-game home stand over that span when it welcomes Dartmouth on Friday, Feb. 18 at 6 p.m. and Harvard on Saturday, Feb. 19 at 5 p.m. to Newman Arena in Ithaca, N.Y.
• A make-up contest with Penn, rescheduled from Jan. 7, will follow on Wednesday, Feb. 23 at 5 p.m.
• The three-consecutive home games fall in a stretch that sees the Big Red close out Ivy League play with four of its final five contests at Newman Arena.
How to Watch:
• The games against Dartmouth and Harvard will be broadcast on ESPN+, along with Cornell's entire slate of Ivy League games for the remainder of the season. ESPN+ is available to fans in the U.S. for $6.99/month or $69.99/year (http://plus.espn.com/). A similar international platform at the same price point is available for fans outside of the U.S., featuring both live and archived games.
Last Time Out:
• Behind a career day for junior guard Ania McNicholas, the Big Red defeated Brown on the road, 68-61, on Saturday, Feb. 12 at the Pizzitola Sports Center in Providence, R.I.
• The victory improved Cornell to 8-12 (3-6 Ivy) on the season and gave the Big Red its second season sweep of the Bears in its last three campaigns. Cornell won the first matchup between the two teams as well, 61-55, on Jan. 29 in Ithaca, N.Y.
• Ania McNicholas was the star for the Big Red on Saturday, pouring in a career-high 22 points and eclipsing the 20-point mark for the first time of her career.
• McNicholas was feeling it from behind the arc, sinking a career-best five 3-pointers and finishing the contest 5-of-8 from deep while adding seven rebounds, three assists, a pair of steals, and a block. The five treys for McNicholas marks the most made by an individual for the Big Red this season.
• Senior forward Theresa Grace Mbanefo joined McNicholas in double figures against Brown, finishing the game with 16 points for her 13th double-digit performance of the year.
• Cornell absolutely ruled Brown on the glass, outrebounding the Bears 45-27 in the contest, including 19-5 on the offensive glass.
• Four Big Red student-athletes pulled down at least seven board, as Mbanefo, senior guard Samantha Will, and freshman forward Summer Parker-Hall all shared the game-high with eight apiece and McNicholas added seven.
• Parker-Hall's eight rebounds marked a career-high, as did her three assists. She also chipped in eight points.
Big Red Blurbs:
• As the second rotation of Ivy League play continues, the Big Red sits in sixth place with a 3-6 conference record.
• Seven of the Big Red's eight wins this season have come when Cornell has limited its opponents to less than 60 points. The Big Red holds a 7-2 record on the year when doing so.
• Two new faces in sophomore guard Kaya Ingram and freshman forward Summer Parker-Hall made their way into Cornell's starting lineup for the first time of their careers against Brown on Jan. 29 and have remained a mainstay since, getting the starting nod in each of the Big Red's last four contests. This marks the fourth different starting lineup that the Big Red has utilized this season.
• Ingram's and Parker-Hall's presence in the starting lineup has been a positive one, as the Big Red is 2-2 since the pair got the starting nod.
• There has been one constant presence among Cornell's starting lineups, as Samantha Will has started all 20 games for the Big Red this season and has played in 29-straight contests.
• Highlighted by Theresa Grace Mbanefo's five double-doubles this season, Cornell has had four different players register a double-double this year, including Olivia Snyder (3), Ania McNicholas (1), and Samantha Will (1).
• Ania McNicholas has been the definition of "filling the stat sheet," this season, as the junior guard is averaging 9.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 2.3 steals per game so far this year.
• McNicholas ranks among the top-six of the conference in two of those four categories, sitting fifth in the Ivy League in steals per game (2.3) and sixth in assists per game (2.7).
• McNicholas has collected multiple steals in 14 of 19 games so far this season. If she can keep up this pace for the remainder of the season, her 2.3 steals per game would rank sixth all-time in program history for a single season.
• The duo of Shannon Mulroy (2.9) and McNicholas (2.7) has done a great job of distributing the basketball so far this season, both sitting among the top-six in the conference in assists per game in fourth and sixth, respectively.
• The Big Red has done a good job of keeping its opponents off the boards this season, ranking third in the Ivy League as a team in rebounding defense (35.5 rebounds per game).
• Theresa Grace Mbanefo has been a blocking machine, as her 1.8 blocks per game ranks second in the conference and 45th nationally.
• If Mbanefo continues to stuff shots at this pace, her 1.8 blocks per game would rank second all-time in Cornell women's basketball history for a single season. The single season record of 2.1 was set by Lynell Davis during the 2001-02 season.
• Mbanefo also sits among the top-five of the Ivy League in shooting percentage (.483) and rebounds per game (7.7), marks which rank second and fifth, respectively.
The Series vs. Dartmouth:
• Dartmouth holds a 61-23 advantage over Cornell dating back to 1976-77.
• Dartmouth might hold a significant advantage over the Big Red in the all-time series, but Cornell is neck-and-neck with the Big Green over the past 27 meetings, with the Big Red holding a slight edge, 14-13.
• 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 split the home-and-home series from 2015-16 to 2018-19.
• Dartmouth did something that the Big Green hadn't done since the 2009-10 season during the 2019-20 campaign, however, sweeping Cornell for the first time in 10 seasons.
• The Big Red will be looking to turn the table on Dartmouth, however, after winning the two teams' first matchup earlier this season by a score of 45-36 in the Ivy opener on Jan. 2 for just Cornell's sixth-ever victory over the Big Green in Hanover, N.H.
• Cornell will be looking to clinch its first season sweep of Dartmouth since the 2013-14 campaign.
• Theresa Grace Mbanefo (16) and Ania McNicholas (10) combined for 26 of Cornell's 45 points in the Big Red victory earlier this season.
Scouting Dartmouth:
• Dartmouth enters Friday's contest holding a 2-20 (1-9 Ivy) record, with its only wins coming over Texas State by a score of 62-39 on Dec. 16 in San Marcos, Texas and Brown by a score of 58-54 on Feb. 5 in Hanover, N.H.
• The Big Green is led by first-year head coach Adrienne Shibles, who was named the fifth head coach in Dartmouth women's basketball history in May of 2021 after a very successful 13-year stint at the helm of the Division III Bowdoin program.
• Shibles led Bowdoin to a 281-67 record and 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, including eight trips to the Sweet Sixteen and two to the Final Four, during her tenure.
• The Big Green is led in scoring by sophomore Mia Curtis, who is averaging 7.4 points per game.
• Freshman Doreen Ariik leads the team in rebounds (5.7 rpg) and is the co-leader in blocks (0.6 bpg), along with sophomore Carrington Washburn.
• Arrik and Washburn sit ninth in the Ivy League in blocks per game (0.6).
• Sophomore Mekkena Boyd leads the Big Green in assists per game (1.7) and steals per game (1.3). Freshman Victoria Page is a co-leader in assists per game (1.7).
A Win Over Dartmouth Would:
• Improve Cornell to 9-12 on the season and 4-6 in Ivy League play.
• Give Cornell back-to-back victories.
• Secure the season sweep of the Big Green for the first time since the 2013-14 campaign.
The Series vs. Harvard:
• Harvard owns a commanding 72-13 series advantage over the Big Red dating back to 1974-75.
• Of Cornell's 13 wins over the Crimson, 11 have come in Ithaca, N.Y.
• The two teams split its two contests during the 2019-20 season, with the Cornell victory that year marking the first time the Big Red had defeated Harvard in Cambridge, Mass. in program history. Cornell came away with the 55-47 victory on Feb. 29, 2020 at Lavietes Pavilion, snapping a five-game losing streak for Cornell to the Crimson dating back to the 2017-18 season.
• Harvard has won six of the last seven matchups, however, including the two teams' first meeting earlier this season, which ended in an 89-47 victory for the Crimson on Jan. 22 in Cambridge, Mass.
• Cornell is seeking its first victory over Harvard at Newman Arena since Feb. 18, 2017.
Scouting Harvard:
• Harvard enters the weekend with a 12-10 overall and 6-4 conference record, having won five of its last six contests.
• The Crimson were on a five-game win streak until Penn snapped Harvard's momentum in the team's last outing on Saturday, Feb. 12, as the Quakers emerged victorious in overtime by a score of 87-78.
• Harvard has shot distinctly well from behind the arc this year, as the team's 9.3 3-point makes per game leads the Ivy League and ranks ninth in the nation.
• The Crimson have also done a great job of taking care of the basketball while applying pressure to the opposition, leading the conference and sitting seventh in the country in turnover margin (6.73).
• The Crimson are led in points, rebounds, and steals by Harmoni Turner, who is averaging 15.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.5 steals per game. Turner sits among the top three of the conference in two of those three categories, ranking second in steals per game and third in points per game.
• Turner has bestowed Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors a league-leading four times this season, including in three-straight weeks from Dec. 20 to Jan. 3. She swept the conference's weekly honors on Dec. 27, also being named the Ivy League Player of the Week.
• Lola Mullaney and McKenzie Forbes are Harvard's top 3-point shooting threats, sitting fourth and fifth, respectively, in the Ivy League in 3-point field goal percentage and fifth and sixth, respectively, in 3-point field goals per game.
• Forbes and Mullaney are also averaging double-figures, with Forbes scoring 14.0 points per game and Mullaney adding 13.0 points per game.
• Maggie McCarthy leads the team in assists at 2.8 per game, a mark which ranks fifth in the Ivy League.
A Win Over Harvard Would:
• Be Cornell's second victory over the Crimson in the two teams' last three matchups.
• Give the Big Red its first win over Harvard at Newman Arena since Feb. 18, 2017.
A Coaching Clash to Take Note Of:
• The head coaching matchup of Dayna Smith, the Rebecca Quinn Morgan '60 Head Coach of Women's Basketball, and Harvard's Kathy Delaney-Smith is a battle between the two longest-tenured active coaches in the Ivy League. Smith is in her 20th year, while Delaney-Smith is in her 40th.
• Harvard's Kathy Delaney-Smith is set to retire at the end of this season, closing out a storied 40-year career.
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 years).
• She is also fourth all-time in years served as a head coach in the Ivy League.
• Smith's record sits at 206-305 for her career.
Team Leaders:
• Points – Theresa Grace Mbanefo, 11.5 points per game
• Field Goals Made – Theresa Grace Mbanefo, 5.1 per game
• Field Goal Percentage – Theresa Grace Mbanefo, .483
• 3-point Field Goals Made – Ania McNicholas, 1.2 per game
• 3-point Field Goal Percentage – Samantha Will, .358
• Free Throw Percentage – Shannon Mulroy, .696 (39-of-56)
• Rebounding – Theresa Grace Mbanefo, 7.7 rebounds per game
• Assists – Shannon Mulroy, 2.9 assists per game
• Assist-to-Turnover Ratio – Shannon Mulroy, 1.1
• Blocks – Theresa Grace Mbanefo, 1.8 blocks per game
• Steals – Ania McNicholas, 2.3 steals per game
• Minutes – Samantha Will, 30.9 minutes per game
A Look Back in Time:
• The last season the Big Red was in action in 2019-20, Cornell finished the year with a 10-16 overall record and a 3-11 mark in conference play, finishing seventh in the Ivy League.
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.
Up Next:
• The Cornell women's basketball team will host a mid-week tilt with Penn on Wednesday, Feb. 23 at 5 p.m. at Newman Arena in Ithaca, N.Y.
