ITHACA, N.Y. -- Seniors Theresa Grace Mbanefo and Samantha Will led Cornell to a seven-point halftime lead over 20-game winner Columbia, but the Lions made nine second half 3-pointers and pulled away late for a 70-57 victory on Friday evening at Newman Arena. The Big Red's season ends with a 9-16 record (4-10 Ivy), while the Lions head into the Ivy League Tournament as the two seed sporting a 21-5 record (12-2 Ivy).

Mbanefo had 10 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three blocked shots and Will added four points and three rebounds for a game Big Red squad. Kaya Ingram scored 12 points with six rebounds, four assists and two steals, while Ania McNicholas had 12 points, four rebounds, an assist, a blocked shot and a steal in the loss. Summer Parker-Hall netted nine points and four rebounds and Shannon Mulroy scored eight to go along with seven assists and four rebounds. Cornell shot 40 percent from the floor overall, but hit just two 3-pointers - eight fewer than the Lions.

Six of those 10 3-pointers came from Abbey Hsu, who hit 6-of-13 from beyond the arc for 25 points. She added six rebounds and three blocked shots. Jaida Patrick (11points, 10 rebounds, six assists, four steals) and Kaitlyn Davis (10 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals) also reached double figures.



Cornell led 32-25 at the break in large part due to a 6-0 spurt over the final 69 seconds of the half, with Shannon Mulroy assisting on two baskets and scoring another, with her steal leading to a Summer Parker-Hall bucket at the horn to give the home team the advantage after 20 minutes. Ingram was also key in the second 10-minute quarter, scoring seven points with three rebounds and two steals.

The 21-13 Big Red second came after a first quarter that didn't allow for a lead of more than four points, that coming when the home team ran out to a 4-0 lead with some of the energy from the senior ceremony just prior to tip-off.

The Big Red defense was solid against a Columbia offense that has been humming along all season, limited the Lions to 36 percent shooting overall and just 1-of-11 form beyond the arc while forcing nine turnovers. 

An 8-0 Columbia run over the first 2:15 of the third put the visitors back in the lead, though that edge would see-saw back-and-forth with neither team holding more than a one possession lead until Hsu hit consecutive corner 3-pointers in less than a minute to make it 51-46. A free throw would give the Lions a six-point edge heading into the fourth. Hsu scored 12 points in the quarter and, ultimately, 19 in the second half.

The visitors were hardly threatened in the final 10 minutes, going up by 16 with under a minute to play.before the seniors were taken out of the game with 35 seconds left to an ovation from the crowd.