After dropping its last six games, Cornell women’s basketball (7-12, 1-6 Ivy) looked to get back in the win column as they took the floor against Dartmouth (6-13, 0-7 Ivy) and Harvard (12-8, 5-2 Ivy) on Friday, Feb. 2 and Saturday, Feb. 3, respectively.
Facing the only other Ivy League team without a conference victory, the Red took advantage of costly turnovers from Dartmouth en route to a 61-47 win on Friday, improving their conference record to 1-5 on the season. However, a tough contest against Harvard didn’t fall in Cornell’s favor, as the Red fell by a score of 63-52.
The first quarter against the Big Green proved to be an even battle with both sides racking up 12 points a piece. Despite Dartmouth committing six turnovers compared to the Red’s four, missed layups by Cornell kept the game tight for the first 10 minutes of action.
Freshman guard Azareya Kilgoe buried a three to get the scoring started in the second quarter. Following the shot, the Red went on a 15-3 run, outscoring the Big Green 10-2 on points off turnovers and 6-0 on fast break points. Kilgoe continued her hot shooting with nine more points of her team-high 14 in the game.
Kilgoe has been a consistent force for Cornell throughout the year, starting all 19 games and averaging the second most minutes on the team with nearly 28. Racking up these numbers as only a freshman, the future is bright for the Red.
After a small run by Dartmouth to start the second half, the Red pulled away, continuing to extend the lead over the third quarter. Junior forward Summer Parker-Hall was all over the court, scoring four of her own in the third as well as making crucial rebounds on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Her play helped establish a 48-35 third quarter advantage which ultimately paved the way for a 61-47 win.
In what became an opportunity to secure two conference wins in a row, the Red took the floor against Harvard on Feb. 3. A quick 4-4 game within the first two minutes continued to stay close throughout the first quarter as Harvard led 17-13.
Unlike the first ten minutes, the second quarter proved to be more defensive with only 22 points being scored between the two teams including 10 from the Red. The Crimson outgained Cornell in points off turnovers and second-chance points, but the Red’s effort kept them in the game.
Harvard forward Katie Krupa took over in the third as she scored 10 straight points to extend the lead to 11 with two minutes left in the quarter, but Cornell didn’t back down. Freshman forward Rachel Kaus knocked down a three-pointer and a bucket to shrink the lead to eight, but the team never got much closer, as they dropped the game 63-52.
The Red will look to build off their first conference win and try to pick up another as they take on Yale (5-15, 2-5 Ivy) at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 10 at Newman Arena. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.