STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – Cornell was unable to overcome a slow start to the second half as Wagner pulled away for a 67-54 victory Sunday afternoon at Spiro Sports Center Athletic Complex. The Big Red fall to 4-4 on the season, while Wagner improves to 2-5. 
 
Junior Clarke Jackson led Cornell with 14 points on 5-for-7 shooting, adding four rebounds and two steals in 36 minutes of action. Senior Emily Pape contributed 11 points and three rebounds, while junior Rachel Kaus chipped in 10 points and three steals. Sophomore Paige Engels added seven points and four assists. 
 
Cornell shot 41.7 percent from the field (20-for-48) and just 6.7 percent from 3-point range (1-for-15), while Wagner finished at 50.0 percent from the floor (25-for-50) and 41.7 percent from beyond the arc (5-for-12). Wagner controlled the glass with a 34-26 rebounding advantage, though Cornell forced 18 turnovers while committing 14. 
 
Raneem Elbarky paced Wagner with 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting, grabbing five rebounds off the bench. Lijirin Doyinsola Modesayor added 12 points and four rebounds, while Irene Fernandez de Caleya contributed 11 points, five rebounds and four assists. 
 
Wagner jumped out to an early lead, outscoring Cornell 19-17 in the opening quarter. The Big Red struggled to find offensive rhythm in the second quarter, managing just 11 points as the Seahawks extended their advantage to 32-28 at halftime. 
 
The third quarter saw Wagner build momentum, outscoring Cornell 19-11 to take a 51-39 lead into the final period. The Seahawks dominated the paint with 34 points compared to Cornell's 26 and capitalized on bench production, getting 30 points from reserves to Cornell's 12. 
 
Cornell made a late push in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to nine on a Kaus layup with 2:47 remaining, but Wagner answered at the free throw line. The Seahawks went 12-for-18 from the charity stripe to seal the victory, while Cornell finished 13-for-21 from the line. 
 
The Big Red struggled from beyond the arc, connecting on just one 3-pointer on 15 attempts. Cornell's defense forced steals on 10 occasions but could not convert those opportunities into enough offense to close the gap. 
 
 
Game Notes 
• Sunday marked the fourth meeting all-time between Cornell and Wagner, with the Seahawks tying the series, 2-2. 
• Cornell finished the game shooting 41.7 percent from the field, its third-best shooting performance this season.  
• The Big Red took a season-best 21 shots from the free throw line, finishing the game with a 61.9 percent mark at the stripe.  
• Jackson recorded her 14th career game with double-digit points.  
• Pape finished with 11 points, her 49th career game with double figures and fourth this season.  
• Kaus now has a team-best six games in double figures this season and 27 for her career.  
• The Big Red made a season-low one 3-pointer, its lowest total for a game since going 1-for-7 from three against Yale on Feb. 28, 2025.  
 
Next Up 
Cornell will play a Wednesday night game on the road when it travels to Bethlehem, Pa., to take on Lehigh. Tip is set for 6 p.m. on ESPN+.