One minute into Sunday’s home game against Lehigh, the Hawks netted the match’s first point off a free throw. By the end of the quarter, Cornell (3-8, 0-0 Ivy) was down by 11, setting the tone for a game that would be dominated by Lehigh (7-3, 0-0 Patriot) until the final buzzer, solidifying the 73-51 loss for women’s basketball.
The first quarter catapulted the Hawks to an early 19-8 lead, with points scored from seven Lehigh players. Only sophomore forward Rachel Kaus and senior forward Summer Parker-Hall scored for the Red.
“Consistency as a team is something we have to work on,” said head coach Emily Garner. “We haven’t done what we’ve practiced, and it’s something we’ll have to continue.”
Cornell narrowed its deficit in the second quarter, outscoring Lehigh 12-9. The Hawks regained control in the third, in which both teams improved accuracy, with Lehigh shooting 55.6 percent and Cornell 58.8 percent from the field.
During the final quarter, the Hawks shut down the Red, going on a 10-point run that led to a 22-point lead, its largest of the game.
The Hawks’ 45.7 percent three-point shooting — earning 42 of the team’s total points — proved fatal for the Red, which only sank two from behind the arc. Lehigh’s Ella Stemmer and Gracyn Lovette netted five three-pointers each, all in the second half.
“Our transition defense wasn’t where it needed to be,” Garner said. “We gave up way too many threes. We didn’t have active hands, we were late moving on the flight.”
Parker-Hall led the Red with 14 points, with junior forward Emily Pape following with 10 of her own. Stemmer and Lovette, with 21 and 17 points respectively, were the top scorers for the Hawks. Despite Lehigh’s dominant performance at the basket, Cornell earned more rebounds (32-22) and drew more fouls (19-11) throughout the match.
The team has a break in competition before heading to Stony Brook University on Dec. 22. Its next appearance at Newman Arena will be its Ivy League home opener on Jan. 11, hosting Columbia.