Women's Basketball Prepares to Host Quakers in Penultimate Home Game

STREAKS, STORYLINES & SIDEBARS 

• Cornell women's basketball is set to host Penn in a Saturday matinee this weekend, with both teams vying to keep their Ivy Madness hopes alive.
• Tipoff is set for Feb. 24 at 2 p.m.
• Cornell was selected seventh in the Ivy League preseason media poll. Cornell finished 10-17 in the 2022-23 season, ending at seventh in the Ancient Eight. The Big Red tallied a road win over Brown and a sweep over Dartmouth in conference play.
• Entering this weekend, the Big Red is tied for seventh with Dartmouth after last weekend's setback in Hanover, N.H. Penn sits at fifth, one game behind Brown, who would receive the final bid to Ivy Madness if the season ended today.
• Though averaging less than double-digits over the season, Rachel Kaus has proved to be a commanding sixth woman for the Big Red this season. The freshman averages the third most points per game for Cornell (8.1) and is the Big Red's most accurate shooter, finding the bottom of the net on 45.6 percent of her shots.
• The rookie has led the Big Red in scoring in the last two outings (at Harvard, at Dartmouth).
• Despite being held to single-digit scoring in the past six outings, sophomore Emily Pape is still Cornell's top scorer, averaging 10 points per game. She also leads the team in rebounding, grabbing 137 boards.
• Senior captain Kaya Ingram is right behind Pape, averaging 9.9 points per game. The senior guard had a streak of three games in double-digit scoring heading into this past weekend, before being held to seven at Harvard and just two at Dartmouth.

THE SERIES 
First Meeting: Penn, 36-31, Dec. 7, 1974
Overall: Penn leads, 67-21
In Overtime: Penn leads, 1-0
Current Streak: Penn won 13
Last Time: Penn, 67-54, Jan. 15, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pa.
Smith vs. Penn: 12-29 (6-14 in Ithaca, N.Y.)
Series vs. Penn: 
- Saturday's game will be the 88th all-time meeting between Cornell and Penn.
- The Big Red is on a 13-game losing streak against the Quakers. The Big Red's most recent win dates back to a 51-46 victory in Ithaca, N.Y. on Feb. 26, 2016.
- 14 of Cornell's 21 wins in the series have come at home.

A WIN OVER PENN WOULD ... 

• Push the Big Red's record to 8-13 and help the Big Red to a 2-9 record in the Ivy.
• Keep Cornell in the Ivy Madness race, barring a Brown loss as well.
• Snap a 13-game losing streak to the Quakers.
• Be the 473rd win in program history (472-776 in 53 seasons, .379).

LAST TIME OUT: Dartmouth 48, Cornell 44
GAME STORY I BOX SCORE

• Dartmouth cashed in on free throws in the final minute of action to keep the game out of reach for Cornell as the Big Red was downed, 48-44, in Leede Arena on Saturday evening.
• Cornell's one double-digit scorer, freshman Rachel Kaus, tallied a game-high 18 points and five assists. She finished second on Cornell in rebounding, grabbing seven boards.
• Emily Pape neared double-digits with eight points and grabbed a game-best 15 rebounds. The 15 boards mark the most of her career. Pape and Kaya Ingram each tallied two steals in the outing.
• Clare Meyer and Victoria Page each hit double-figures for Dartmouth, accounting for 14 and 13 points respectively. Meyer led the Big Green with 11 rebounds. Nina Minicozzi led Dartmouth in assists with three.
• Despite the loss, Cornell held Dartmouth to 0 points in the second quarter. This was the first time in Big Red history that an opponent was held scoreless in a quarter (women's basketball began playing quarters in the 2015-16 season).