March 24, 2008 - 12:00am
By Josh Perlin
NEW YORK CITY — Senior co-captain Gretchen Gregg grabbed a rebound and dribbled straight for sophomore point guard Lauren Benson at the top of the arc. You would have thought the game was still in contention, until the two players smiled with joy, and Benson heaved the ball to the ceiling as the clock expired and the team mobbed the floor.
Using unmatched efficiency on both ends of the floor, Cornell never relinquished the lead and toppled Dartmouth, 64-47, in the playoff game to determine the Ivy League’s NCAA bid. The win capped the greatest season in Cornell women’s basketball history, with the team scoring 1889 points and winning 20 games, an Ivy title and an NCAA Tournament invite: all for the first time in its 37-year history.