The women’s basketball team took a decisive and historic 106-27 victory over State University of New York, Delhi on Tuesday afternoon at Newman Arena. The win marked the first time the women’s basketball team scored over 100 points and was the largest win margin in program history.
In the first meeting between the two teams, the Red (7-8, 2-0 Ivy) opened the match by going up 8-0 against the Broncos (3-13, 2-7 North Atlantic) with layups from three different players. SUNY Delhi responded with a three-pointer from Riley Schmidt, but Cornell held the Broncos to just six more points for the rest of the quarter and added another 15 to make the score 23-9.
In the second quarter, the Red were able to hold the Broncos to just two points while continuing to dominate on offense — led by freshman forward and guard Ally Pape, who scored 24 points and recorded a double double for the Red, and sophomore forward and guard Alana Andrews, whose team-high 14 rebounds helped Cornell control the paint and extend its lead to 47-13.
When asked about how she felt the freshman and sophomore contributed to the team’s victory, head coach Emily Garner told ESPN that she was “proud” of everyone who contributed to the team’s win.
“I think one of the strengths of our team is our depth,” Garner said to ESPN. “I think on any given night it can be anyone’s night. To be in that position to see our younger players step up I think that is awesome to see.”
The Red continued its domination in the third quarter as it outscored SUNY Delhi, 30-9. Those scoring efforts were led by Pape, Andrews and freshman forward Ashley Childers who finished the match with a season-high of 16 points.
By the fourth quarter, the Red held a 55-point advantage over the Broncos, which they extended to 79 by the end of the match.
Garner also told ESPN that the team’s ability to understand the offense and be able to “read and react” during the game has been crucial to the team’s success and three-straight win streak.
“I thought we did a really nice job taking care of the ball today,” Garner told ESPN. “We wrap up nonconference play now and we can fully focus on Ivy League play.”
The women’s basketball team’s next 12 games will all be against Ivy League foes.
The Red will continue its home play when it takes on Brown at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 17 with coverage of the matchup available on ESPN.
Zeinab Faraj is a member of the class of 2028 in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is the features editor on the 143rd Editorial Board and was the assistant sports editor of the 143rd Editorial Board. You can reach her at zfaraj@cornellsun.com.
