BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Cornell twice cut the deficit to three points but could not complete the comeback as Lehigh held on for a 66-52 victory Tuesday night at Stabler Arena. The Big Red fall to 4-5 on the season, while Lehigh improves to 4-5. 
 
Leia Edwards paced Lehigh with 21 points on 7-for-11 shooting, connecting on 3-of-5 from 3-point range and adding nine rebounds and five assists. Lily Fandre matched Edwards with 21 points on 8-for-13 shooting, while Alana Reddy contributed eight points and three steals. Elizabeth Mjaanes added eight points off the bench. 
 
Senior Emily Pape led Cornell with 18 points on 6-for-17 shooting, connecting on 3-of-9 from 3-point range and adding six rebounds in 35 minutes of action. Junior Rachel Kaus contributed nine points and five rebounds, while junior Clarke Jackson and freshman Grace Renners each chipped in eight points. Sophomore Paige Engels added seven points, three assists and five rebounds, while junior Kelsey Langston distributed five assists in 36 minutes. 
 
Cornell shot 36.2 percent from the field (17-for-47) and 33.3 percent from 3-point range (5-for-15), while Lehigh finished at 44.4 percent from the floor (24-for-54) and 27.6 percent from beyond the arc (8-for-29). Lehigh controlled the glass with a 30-27 rebounding advantage and forced 17 Cornell turnovers that led to 19 Lehigh points. 
 
Lehigh jumped out to an 11-4 lead in the opening quarter before Cornell responded with a 5-0 run to pull within two, 11-9, with 4:50 remaining. The Big Red then went cold offensively, allowing Lehigh to capitalize with an 8-0 run spanning nearly four minutes of game time to take a 19-11 lead into the second quarter. 
 
The Mountain Hawks extended their advantage to 12 points (23-11) two minutes into the second quarter before Cornell responded with a 10-1 run over 2:34 of game time. Jackson capped the surge with an old-fashioned three-point play to pull the Big Red within three, 24-21, at the 4:52 mark. Cornell shot 3-for-6 during the run, with Pape and Jackson each scoring three points. Lehigh steadied and took a 32-26 lead into halftime. 
 
The third quarter saw both teams struggle offensively, but Renners provided a spark with a 3-pointer at the 4:16 mark to cut the deficit to five, 40-35. The freshman scored six-straight points as part of an 8-0 Cornell run that pulled the Big Red within three, 40-37 — its closest margin since the 4:52 mark in the second quarter. Lehigh answered with a 6-2 run to close the frame and take a 46-39 lead into the fourth. 
 
Cornell could not get closer than six points in the final quarter, cutting the deficit to 49-43 before Lehigh pulled away.  
 
The Mountain Hawks dominated the paint with 30 points compared to Cornell's 22. Lehigh shot 66.7 percent from the free throw line (10-for-15) to seal the victory, while Cornell finished 86.7 percent from the stripe (13-for-15). 
 
Game Notes 
• With the loss, Cornell falls to 2-8 all-time against Lehigh.  
• Pape matched her season-best with 18 points. She last scored 18 on Nov. 18 vs. Colgate. 
• Pape now has 50 career double-digit scoring games, including five this season.  
• Renners finished with a career-high eight points, going 3-for-5 from the field.  
• Langston was credited with five or more assists for the second time this season and third time in her career.  
 
Next Up 
Cornell will host Quinnipiac on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 1 p.m. inside Newman Arena. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.  
 
The Bobcats won the first-ever meeting with the Big Red last season.