An 11-0 scoring spurt down the stretch propelled Cornell’s women’s basketball team to a 57-53 road win over American Rivers Conference foe Luther Sunday, Nov. 14.
Sophomore Rachael Adewusi netted six of her game-high 14 points during the decisive run, which saw the Rams (1-1) rally from a 51-45 deficit with less than five minutes to play.
Adewusi’s layup followed a 3-pointer by Kali March, put the Rams ahead 52-51 with 3:17 remaining. Adewusi and Ani’ja Simmons added back-to-back field goals that stretched the margin to 56-51 with 1:11 left to go.
After Luther (1-2) cut the lead to 56-53, Madison Osborn hit one free throw in the closing seconds to seal the victory.
Cornell’s defense stiffened in the fourth quarter, holding the Norse to 3-of-13 shooting.
Cornell junior Madison Wauters posted a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Simmons went 5-of-9 from the field and finished with 10 points.
March added seven points and three assists. Victoria Saucedo chipped in six points and four rebounds off the bench.
The Rams trailed 28-27 at halftime in a tightly-contested game that witnessed 11 lead changes. Cornell held a 45-35 advantage on the boards, offsetting a 2-of-14 shooting day from 3-point range.
Earlier in the week, Corrnell lost a 64-60 match against the Coe Kohawks.
The back-and-forth rivalry game saw the lead switch hands 15 times. The Rams (0-1) led 56-52 with less than four minutes to go when Coe (1-0) went on an 8-0 run and pulled ahead to stay down the stretch.
The Kohawks gained one point in the 2021-22 Bremner Cup All-Sport Series, which is now tied at 3-3.
March pumped in a game-high 18 points in the showdown. March also went 6-of-10 from the field and drained four 3-pointers to pace the young Rams. Wauters had a solid night inside with nine points and 10 rebounds.
The Rams received 13 points apiece from Osborn and Rachael Adewusi. Ani’ja Simmons grabbed six rebounds, while Adewusi and Katelyn Burns each pulled down five.
Cornell led 18-11 after one quarter, 30-22 at the half. The Kohawks climbed back in it with outside shooting, hitting six of their 10 3-pointers after intermission.
Coming up — Cornell begins a five-game homestand against Dubuque Thursday night. Tipoff is 7 p.m. in the Small Sport Center.