Women's basketball

Red Must Replace Top Scorers

John Forman — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The 2007-08 season will certainly be a tough act to follow — the team captured the school record for wins, the Ivy League Player of the Year award, and not to mention Cornell’s first Ivy League title and trip to the NCAA Tournament. But with its three incoming freshman, two returning starters and one new assistant coach, this very different team is looking for very similar results.

After setting the single-season record for assists last season, junior captain Lauren Benson will again be relied on to run the Red offense.

“Lauren is an extension of the coaching staff,” head coach Dayna Smith said. “We try to give her free reign to be a leader on and off the court.”

Senior Captain Becomes ‘Go-To’ Forward

Holden Steinhauer — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0500

On a roster that features only one other senior, Shannan Scarselletta will see an increased role this year not only because of her on-court play, but because of her reliable leadership for the young squad.

Last year, Scarselletta played in each of Cornell’s 29 games, averaging over 20 minutes per game.

“She was like a sixth starter last year,” said head coach Dayna Smith. “Shannan has definitely had some experience.”

W. Cagers Pull Out Home Win, Make History

John Forman — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Heading into last night’s game against Fairfield, senior captain Shannan Scarselletta was the only player on Cornell’s roster with a 20-point performance under her belt.

In the Red’s 58-54 win to extend its school-record home win streak to 11, Scarselletta became the only current Red player with a 20-point half under her belt.

Charging ahead: Junior point guard Lauren Benson directed the Red’s 58-54 win over Fairfield last night, leading Cornell in rebounds and assists, with seven and three, respectively.

W. Cagers Split Games at URI Classic, Even Record at 3-3

John Forman — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Most Cornellians’ idea of a double-header over the Thanksgiving break was following up the turkey with pumpkin pie — there may never be a greater one-two punch in the realm of holiday feasting.

But for the women’s basketball team, it was two full servings of hard-nosed basketball as the Red took on Central Connecticut State and Bryant at the Rhody Classic. Cornell dropped its first contest before beating Bryant on Saturday.One-woman wrecking machine: Junior guard Virginia McMunigal (4) outscored Central Connecticut State in the opening minutes of Friday’s matchup, 13-5, but the early lead disappeared.

W. Cagers, Scarselletta Tame Terriers at Newman Arena

Holden Steinhauer — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The women’s basketball team played some tight defense and continued its streak of hot shooting in a home court defeat of St. Francis last night, 59-48. With the victory, the Red evened out its season record at 2-2.

Senior captain Shannan Scarselletta, also a Sun columnist, had a stellar night in Newman Arena, with a superb statistical performance that encapsulated her “do-it-all” playing style. The 6-1 forward finished with a team-high 14 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals.Made you look: Junior Lauren Benson (23) goes up for a layup against St. Francis last night. The Red excelled at the 3, however.

W. Basketball Heads to Rhody

Holden Steinhauer — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

This weekend, the women’s basketball team will head to Kingston for the annual Rhode Island “Rhody Classic” tournament. On Friday, in the first matchup, the Red will face the Blue Devils of Central Connecticut St. (1-2). CCSU has had a rough start to their season, scoring an average of only 56.3 points per game behind a poor 33 percent field goal percentage, while opponents have scored 75.7 points per game and have shot 44 percent. The Blue Devils will look to several of their young players to help inspire an early turn-around, such as freshman guard Shontice Simmons, who scored a team-high 15 points and five assists in the win against Maine.

Red Loses Handle on IUPUI’s Post Players in Second Half

John Forman — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Prior to Saturday’s game against IUPUI, it had been four years since senior captain Lacey Workman played a game of basketball in her home state of Indiana. The last time she played in the Hoosier state, Workman helped lead Ben Davis High to a sectional championship. Less than a year removed from the Ivy championship, Workman and the Red lost to IUPUI 66-57 in her bittersweet homecoming.

Cornell (1-2) got out to a quick start, connecting on its first four shots during a nine-point run after falling behind 4-0. The Jaguars (3-1) mounted a quick comeback, taking a 10-9 lead before exchanging the lead twice more until the Red finally held 15-13 lead with 11 minutes left in the first half.

W. Basketball Travels to Tough Non-Conference IUPUI

Holden Steinhauer — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Only two games into the season, there’s already a buzzword floating around the women’s locker room at Newman Arena.

“We need to continue to be aggressive,” said junior guard Virginia McMunigal.

The women’s basketball team will take its new mantra to Indianapolis tomorrow determined to pull off an upset win against non-conference foe IUPUI.

In its first game of the year, against Duquesne, the Red saw what can happen when its lacks that aggressive style of play that head coach Dayna Smith has preached in practice. Out-rebounded, out-hustled, and simply out-played, the team knew there were improvements that needed to be made.

W. Cagers Hold On for Home Win

Holden Steinhauer — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The women’s basketball team tightened up its defense and played aggressively last night, defeating instate rival Albany at Newman Arena, 50-46, to begin the Red’s home schedule.

Cornell (1-1) played a much more intense game than its lackluster season-opening matchup against Duquesne, when the Red forced only 17 turnovers and shot a poor 31.3%.

Against the Great Danes (0-3) however, the Red won the rebounding battle, 41-37, and grabbed five steals as the team heeded the advice of its coach to raise the intensity.

She got game: Junior guard Allie Fedorowicz (left) drives against an Albany defender last night at Newman Arena. Fedorowicz scored a career and game-high 19 points.

Cornell Looks to Avoid 0-2 Start

John Forman — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The University of Albany women’s basketball team apparently isn’t afraid of anyone. To open their 2008-09 schedule, the Great Danes first left New York to visit California, the ninth-ranked team in the nation, before facing off with the MAAC preseason favorite, Marist.

Albany will continue its tradition of facing high-profile opponents when it plays the defending Ivy League champs tonight at Newman Arena. After losing 63-39 to California and 74-56 at Marist, the Great Danes (0-2) are still looking for their first win of the season. The Red (0-1) will be trying to avoid the same 0-2 start Albany has had, but this early in the season, a win is almost an added bonus.

Women’s Basketball Routed By Dukes in Season Opener

Holden Steinhauer — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Despite a competitive opening to the game, the women’s basketball team lost its season opener and got the year off to a rough start, falling 93-49 against Duquesne in Pittsburgh.

Although the final score might not suggest it, the game began with a fiercely contested back-and-forth battle between the two teams, as Cornell (0-1) showed energy and athleticism on the Dukes’ home court. After opening the first half with a 4-0 lead, Duquesne (2-0) saw it slip away as junior Virginia McMunigal hit a 3-pointer and junior Lauren Benson took a steal the length of the court to put the Red up, 5-4.

Red Aims to Build on Last Year’s Success

John Forman — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The 2007-08 season was the most successful campaign in school history for the women’s basketball team. Eleven Ivy wins and 20 overall wins were both school records, accumulated on the way to the Red’s first Ivy League championship and NCAA tournament berth.

Bigger, better Benson: Junior co-captain and starting point guard Lauren Benson (23) will help lead the Red’s offense this year following a sophomore year that included a new school season assists record.

The title run will culminate tonight with the raising of the championship banner prior to the men’s basketball game, just two days before the women begin their title defense against Duquesne.

Maduka Drops Basketball

Cory Bennett — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Track and basketball star Jeomi Maduka, one of the most accomplished athletes at Cornell, has decided to leave the women’s basketball team to pursue an NCAA track championship.

Maduka has been piling up accolades since arriving on East Hill. In track, she is a 13-time champion at Heps. At the NCAA track championships, she has finished in the top-10 twice. In basketball, Maduka easily won last year’s Ivy League Player of the Year and was named an honorable mention All-American.

And this was all while splitting her time between the two sports. It wasn’t unusual for Maduka to play Friday night with the basketball team, then drive or fly to a different location the next day to compete with the track team.

A Cornell Sports Weekend King Leonidas Would Be Proud Of

Josh Perlin — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Madness? THIS IS SPARTA … I mean ITHACA!

I am not even kidding: if there has ever been a time to show your school spirit and attend a Cornell sports event, this is it. Cornell sports are absolutely amazing this Friday through Sunday.

You have a chance to see three teams with projected NCAA entrants: that’s three teams with some of our nation’s best athletes, right here, at Cornell!

THIS IS BLASPHEMY!

Cornell sports … advancing on a national level?

Women's Basketball by Matt Hintsa

Matt Hintsa — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 20:47:19 -0500

W. Cagers Hit Stride Heading into Ivy Play

Keenan Weatherford — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

After the first game of Ivy League play, the women’s basketball team is the proud owner of a 9-5 record, representing a complete turnaround from where the team stood at this point last season. Only a year ago, the Red was 5-9 and still reeling from a seven-game losing streak during non-conference play.

This year’s squad, ranked second in the Ivy League pre-season media poll, is expected to finish with a better record than last year’s team, which finished the season 12-15. According to head coach Dayna Smith, the difference between last year’s squad and this year’s can be summed up in one word.

W. Hoops Has Strong Break

John Forman — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

While most Cornellians used the winter break to catch up on sleep, catch up with old friends and catch Drew Carry on “The Price is Right,” the women’s basketball team was busy finishing up its non-conference schedule in historic fashion.

Cornell’s 75-60 victory over NJIT to finish out-of-league play was head coach Dayna Smith’s 50th win with the Red and the 300th win in the program’s history. The win also brought the Red to 8-5, its best non-conference finish since the team went 8-4 through the 1999-00 non-conference schedule.

Snyder’s Shooting Efficiency Leads W. Basketball to Success

John Forman — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Michael Jordan, widely regarded as the greatest basketball player of all time, missed 613 shots in his collegiate career. Senior co-captain Moina Snyder has missed only 110 shots since transferring to Cornell last year from Umpqua Community College. Maybe it’s just a fluke. Maybe Jordan attempted more shots. Or maybe Snyder is better than Jordan. Only time will tell, as the Red is off to a 2-2 start under Snyder’s efficient shooting and dominant presence in the paint.

After ranking second in school history with a .513 shooting percentage last season, Snyder began the 2007-08 campaign by draining her first eight shots from the floor and first six free throws, not missing a single shot attempt in the team’s first two contests.

W. Basketball Falls to W. Va.

John Forman — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

The women’s basketball team began its season ranked No. 2 in the Ivy League, while the Mountaineers of West Virginia (3-0) began the season ranked No. 18 in the nation. After welcoming the Red (1-2) to the WVU Coliseum yesterday, West Virginia head coach Mike Carey improved to 35-1 in non-conference home games by defeating Cornell, 93-52.

“West Virginia is a very good, balanced team,” said head coach Dayna Smith. “They’re very explosive and went on long and very productive runs. We couldn’t really climb back in. They played like they’re 18th in the country.”

W. B-ball Gets First Win, Perpares for Quick Turnaround

John Forman — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

After both teams opened last night’s game with two and a half scoreless minutes, a 3-point

field goal from senior tri-captain Gretchen Gregg put Cornell up 3-0 in its home-opener against Lafayette (1-1). The Red (1-1) held the lead for the remainder of the game, earning its first win of the year and fourth home-opening victory in six seasons for head coach Dayna Smith.

Coming off of Saturday’s loss to Long Island, the Red got out to an early 11-4 lead on the strength of 3s from Gregg, sophomore Lauren Benson and junior Kayleen Fitzsimmons, along with a 2-point hoop from Fitzsimmons.