After a close loss to Duquesne in its season opener Friday night, the women’s basketball team celebrated an 81-54 victory over Ithaca College on Sunday in Newman Arena. Thanks in large part to an aggressive Cornell offense, the Red was able to keep its lead over the Bombers throughout the entire game.

Despite a valiant team effort, this past Friday the 13th turned out to be an unlucky day for women’s basketball. The Red battled through four quarters of intense play against Duquesne University; but ultimately, Cornell was forced to watch its established lead fade away in the final minutes. The final result: a 74-69 loss at the hands of the Dukes.

For some people, Friday the 13th signifies a day of bad luck. The Cornell women’s basketball team hopes that the opposite is true. The Red will put superstition aside and tip its season off tonight against the Duquesne Dukes at Newman Arena at 7 p.m. Two days later, the Red will be at it again, this time facing off against the cross-town rival Ithaca Bombers on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Today, unless I’m very much mistaken, is the last day of March. And this means that we at the sports department have been excitedly buzzing over those hallowed diagrams of paper and ink known to sports fans everywhere as the tournament bracket. That’s right everybody, March Madness is upon us! Who did you pick to win? Personally, I picked Missouri, based not really on the basis of talent or overall depth, but rather because I want the team that knocked our brave boys in Carnelian to ride that wave all the way to the national title. There’s something to be said for getting knocked out by the best collegiate basketball team in the country.

Women’s basketball ended its season with a loss against Princeton (13-4, 8-5 Ivy), 76-55, finishing a disappointing sixth in the Ancient Eight and failing to make a return to the NCAA Championship. Cornell (10-6, 6-8 Ivy) finished first in the Ivy League last year.

In her final game representing Cornell, senior fHover: Princeton was senior Shannan Scarselletta’s last game.orward Shannan Scarselletta scored 18 points, going 4-for-4 from the line. Junior guard Allie Fedorowicz also tallied 18, while junior guard Virginia McMunigal led the team with nine rebounds.

The game was also the final contest for senior guard Lacey Workman, who played 21 minutes and tacked on four boards.

For the first time since 2006, the women's basketball team may finish the season in the bottom half of the Ivy League. That year was also the first season for senior co-captains Shannan Scarselletta, a Sun columnist, and Lacey Workman, who will be making their final appearances for the Red this weekend as Cornell takes on Penn tonight and Princeton tomorrow.

A lot has changed for the women’s basketball program since Scarselletta and Workman first joined the team. After finishing in fifth place as rookies, the Red finished third in 2007 and then rewrote the school's record books last season with the team's first Ivy League title. This season, having lost the team's top-4 scorers from last year, the Red will be fighting for third place –– while in position to drop as low as sixth.

The Red was led by a balanced offense one night, and a big scorer the next, to split a weekend series at Newman Arena against Dartmouth and Harvard –– picking up a key conference win in the process.

On Friday against the Green (14-10, 9-1 Ivy), the Red took down the Ivy League’s best defense with four players scoring in double-digits, winning an exciting matchup, 66-61, in overtime.

“We focused more on scoring in transition; we wanted to get quick shots,” said head coach Dayna Smith.

The team also emphasized making the right adjustments mid-game once it was brought face-to-face with the fierce Dartmouth defensive front.

“We weren’t successful in our first crack at it, so we changed our mentality and took quicker shots,” said Smith.

Check Monday's edition of The Cornell Daily Sun for additional coverage

Men's Lacrosse: Cornell 9, Army 8

The men's lacrosse team walked away from its second game of the season with a tight win against Army. The game winner was a cooperative effort between All-Americans Michael Seibold and John Glynn who combined for the goal that put No. 4/6 Cornell over the top. Siebold scored on a low, hard shot on the army goal from 15 yards out, from an assist by Glynn. The team is now 2-0, continuing its step towards the top.

A week after its best offensive weekend of the season, the Red will be back in action tonight against Dartmouth — the Ivy League’s best defensive team. Cornell (9-13, 5-5 Ivy) will then have the pleasure of playing Harvard — the league’s best offensive team — tomorrow, both games being played at Newman Arena.

The game against Dartmouth (14-9, 9-0) will be the 61st meeting between the two teams, with the Green having won 50 of them, including 13 of the last 15 games. The Green won the last contest earlier this season, 55-36. In addition to dominating its series with Cornell, Dartmouth is also currently dominating the Ivy League.

With the weight of a four-game losing streak on its shoulders, the women’s basketball team welcomes Yale and Brown to Newman Arena this weekend for a chance to pick up two crucial Ivy League wins.

In preparation for the big doubleheader weekend, freshman swingman Allison Abt said the Red has been focusing on “defense and team concepts” in practice.

The first game, against the Bulldogs (10-12, 3-5 Ivy), will tip off tonight at 7 p.m.