NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Cornell women's basketball battled against the Columbia Lions in Levien Gymnasium, but fell 69-64 in overtime. The Big Red fell to 10-17 (3-11 Ivy) while Columbia improved to 23-4 (12-2 Ivy). The win clinched a share of the Ivy League regular season title, but the thrilling effort of the Big Red dropped Columbia to the #2 seed in the Ivy League Tournament.
Cornell was led by senior
Ania McNicholas, who tallied 16 points in just over three quarters of play before fouling out.
Emily Pape was right behind with 15 points and a team-high nine rebounds.
Kaya Ingram added 11 and
Shannon Mulroy rounded out double-digit scorers with 10.
Columbia boasted four double-digit scorers. Abby Hsu led the way with 16 points, two shy of her season average. Jaida Patrick had 15 points, Kitty Henderson had 11, and Kaitlyn Davis added 10.
The Big Red came out with hot hands in the first quarter. McNicholas was the first to score, giving Cornel a 2-0 lead at 8:58. The foes would trade points through 12-12, but the Big Red closed on a 9-0 run to lead 21-12 after the first quarter. Columbia had the first points of the second quarter, but Pape made a jumper at 9:23 to maintain the nine point lead. Through 6:27, the only point for either team was a lone Columbia free throw. The Big Red espanded its lead with a Mulroy layup, but the Lions shrunk the Big Red lead to three with two minutes left in the half. McNicholas put up two jumpers to close the second quarter with a seven point lead, 31-24.
Columbia would not retake the lead until 1:01 remained in the third quarter. Pape hit a layup to regain the lead, but two Lion free throws closed at the third quarter with a 46-45 Columbia advantage. Both teams traded leads until Hsu hit s three for Columbia to take a four point lead with just 1:33 to go.
Summer Parker-Hall came in clutch at the free throw line with 1:11 left on the clock.
Emily Pape came in clutch in the final six seconds of the game, hitting a layup to knot the game at 61. The Big Red was held to just three points in overtime, falling by five to the Lions.
