Feb. 24, 2007

Box Score

ITHACA, N.Y.--In a game that featured 12 ties and 13 lead changes, it was clutch free throw shooting that propelled Cornell (11-13, 7-4 Ivy) to a 59-55 victory over Yale (11-14, 4-7 Ivy) Friday night at Newman Arena. The Big Red went 8-for-10 from the line in the final three minutes after going just 10-for-17 from the charity stripe in the first 37 minutes of the game.

The back-and-forth flow was established early, as there were five ties and four lead changes in the first 10 minutes. With 9:29 remaining in the first half and the score tied at 18-18, back-to-back baskets by Erica Davis gave Yale a 22-18 edge. There were three more ties, but the Bulldogs didn't trail again the rest of the period. After Gretchen Gregg drained a trey to get Cornell within one at 32-31 with 26 seconds left, Stephanie Marciano hit a runner as time was winding down to give the Bulldogs a 34-31 halftime lead.

The opening minutes of the second half were very sloppy, as each team struggled to find a rhythm. Cornell scored the first four points of the half to take a 36-35 lead before the Bulldogs jumped back in front on Kaitlyn Lillemoe's jumper with 12:13 to go. Yale's lead eventually reached six when a pair of Melissa Colborne free throws made it 49-43 with 4:33 remaining.

Davis gave the Bulldogs a 51-47 lead after hitting two free throws with 3:34 left to play, but picked up her fifth foul on the ensuing Cornell possession. Shannan Scarselletta made both foul shots to cut the lead to two, then Jeomi Maduka's layup with 2:03 remaining tied the score at 51-51. After Colborne made two free throws to put Yale back in front, the Big Red scored 10 of the game's final 12 points--all at the free throw line--to seal a 59-55 win. A Marciano runner with four seconds left accounted for Yale's only points during that span.

"That was a game we deserved to win," Joel E. Smilow, Class of 1954 Head Coach Chris Gobrecht said. "There was an awful lot stacked against us tonight."

Yale was down to one healthy forward at the end of the game, as Davis and Alexandra Chen both fouled out, Chinenye Okafor missed the game due to her broken toe, and Sara McCollum injured her knee early in the second half and did not return.

Davis was one of four Bulldogs in double figures with 14 points. She also pulled down a team-high five rebounds. Colborne added 12 points, while Marciano and McCollum each tallied 11. Marciano also dished out three assists. The Bulldogs shot 42.6 percent (20-of-47) from the field and a season-low 9.1 percent (1-of-11) from three-point land. Yale shot 77.8 percent (14-of-18) from the free throw line.

Maduka had 14 points, nine rebounds and three steals for the Big Red. Scarselletta posted a double-double with 13 points and a game-high 11 boards. Lauren Benson tallied four assists to go along with eight points and two steals. Cornell shot 39.2 percent (20-of-51) from the field and 25 percent (1-of-4) from three-point range. The Big Red outrebounded the Bulldogs 40-28, including a 16-6 edge on the offensive glass.

The Bulldogs return to action tomorrow night at Columbia in the final road game of the season. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at Levien Gymnasium. Columbia has won five straight over Yale, including a 72-64 victory at the John J. Lee Amphitheater on Feb. 9. The Lions fell to Brown, 72-69, in double overtime on Friday night.

NOTES: Yale lost for just the second time all season when leading at halftime...The Bulldogs have now lost 14 consecutive Ivy League road games...The teams combined for 13 turnovers, eight fouls and just six points in the first eight minutes of the second half...The Bulldogs missed their last nine three-point attempts...Yale dropped to 0-3 this season in games where Okafor did not play...With the loss, the Bulldogs were officially eliminated from contention for the Ivy championship.

Report filed by Joe Clifford, Yale Sports Publicity