Boxscore
CHICAGO – Lauren Benson set the school record for assists in a single game with 12 and Allie Fedorowicz racked up a game-high 24 points as the Cornell women’s basketball team defeated Tennessee State, 92-73, in the consolation game of the Maggie Dixon Classic this evening in Chicago, Ill. With the win, the Big Red evens its record at 2-2 on the season.
Playing in front of a substantial number of family and friends in her home state, Benson broke the school record for assists in a single game, which had been held by her and five other former Cornell players, and finished the night with 13 points for her first double-double of the season.
Fedorowicz shot lights-out in the game, connecting on an unbelievable 8-of-9 from the floor, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range, to go along with five rebounds and three assists. For her efforts on the weekend, Fedorowicz was named to the All-Tournament team. Virginia McMunigal chipped in 12 points, while Allie Munson and Taylor Flynn also scored in double-figures with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Munson tallied a team-high six rebounds.
Tennessee State (0-3) was led by Oby Okafor’s 23-point, 10-rebound double-double, while Meredith Stafford finished with nine points.
Cornell shot a blistering 62 percent from the floor (31-of-50), going 50 percent from 3-point range (10-of-20), while the Lady Tigers connected on 40.6 percent overall (28-69) and just 16.7 percent from beyond the arc (2-of-12).
Both teams registered 38 rebounds, but TSU benefitted from 22 offensive boards, leading to 14 second-chance points.
Tennessee State jumped out to the early 6-2 lead at the 18:35 mark, but Cornell used a 12-4 scoring run to go up, 14-10, with 13:24 to play in the first half. During the run, the Big Red got five points apiece from Fedorowicz and Benson, as well as a jumper from Clare Fitzpatrick.
A jumper by Okafor made it a one-point Cornell lead, but Fedorowicz, Flynn and Benson answered on Cornell’s next three possessions with back-to-back-to-back treys to put the Big Red up by double-digits, 23-13, with just over 10 minutes to play in the first half. Okafor ended the Lady Tigers’ scoreless streak with a layup, but Fedorowicz answered immediately with yet another 3-pointer for the Big Red, followed by a 16-foot jumper by Kristina Danielak. A pair of made free throws by both McMunigal and Flynn pushed Cornell’s lead to 32-15.
Back-to-back baskets by TSU gave the Lady Tigers some momentum, but a big 3-pointer by Flynn and a single free throw by Fitzpatrick returned Cornell’s lead to a comfortable 15 points, 36-21, at the 6:44 mark. Cornell completely dominated the next three minutes of action, taking a commanding 49-23 lead.
The Lady Tigers outscored the Big Red, 15-5, down the stretch, thanks in large part to eight points by Okafor, but Cornell took a 54-38 lead into the intermission. The 54 points scored is the most ever in a single half of play under head coach Dayna Smith.
After a layup by Kesi Hess to open the second half, Cornell responded with a jumper by Munson and a trey from McMunigal to go up, 59-42, less than three minutes in. Five unanswered points by the Lady Tigers made it a 12-point game, but that was as close as it got as the Big Red used a 9-2 scoring run to take a substantial 19-point lead, 68-49, at the 14:29 mark. The run saw remarkably balanced scoring with jumpers from Fitzpatrick, Fedorowicz and Munson, as well as a trey from Benson.
LSU used one last push, scoring six unanswered points to cut Cornell’s lead to 13 points, but once again, the Big Red responded with an 11-2 run that essentially put the game away, as Cornell went up, 79-57, with 8:31 to play in the game.
Coach Smith went to her bench and began to sub liberally, still, the Big Red took its largest lead of the game as a layup from Spencer Lane made it an 86-58 contest with 5:39 remaining. From there, Cornell cruised to the 92-73 victory.
The Big Red returns to Ithaca to take on IUPUI at Neman Arena on Tuesday, Nov. 24, at 7 p.m.