In its final home basketball game of 2023, Cornell’s women handled Beloit with a strong team effort in Saturday’s 62-48 Midwest Conference win inside the Small Athletic and Wellness Center.
All 10 players that saw the court scored for coach Brent Brase’s Rams (4-5 overall), who will take a 3-1 MWC record into the holiday break.
The Rams never trailed against the Buccaneers (2-8 overall, 1-3 MWC), who were limited to 33.3-percent shooting for the game. Cornell caused 21 turnovers and outscored the visiting team, 32-20, in the second half.
Cornell broke free with a 10-0 spurt late in the third quarter, which included buckets from four different players. Mia Murray’s two free throws pushed Cornell ahead 45-32 with 2:33 left in the third and the Rams played with a double-digit lead the rest of the way.
Kali March had another fine all-around effort with 13 points, six rebounds and four assists. Ani’ja Simmons was a big spark off the bench, providing 10 points and a team-best seven boards.
Heidi Jorgensen netted 10 points. Bradie Buffington, Tenley Cavanagh and Murray pitched in six points apiece. Cavanagh came away with four steals.
The Rams continued their hot shooting from the foul line, sinking 11-of-13 attempts. They recorded five blocked shots, including two apiece from Simmons and Jorgensen.
Earlier in the week, the Rams lost to Grinnell 72-65.
Senior Kali March and first-year Heidi Jorgensen carried the scoring load with 40 combined points and nine 3-point goals for the visiting Rams, who were without two starting post players against their in-state rival.
The hot-shooting March poured in a game-high 23 points, topping the 20-point mark for the third time in her last four games. She drained five 3-pointers to become the 10th Ram in program history to make 100 in a career. March also recorded five of Cornell’s 12 steals on the night.
Jorgensen netted a career-best 17 points with four 3-pointers. Mia Murray had 11 points and eight rebounds. Ani’ja Simmons added six rebounds and four steals for the Rams, who took a 30-23 lead into intermission.
The Pioneers gained momentum in the fourth quarter, building their largest lead of the game at 68-58 with 3:18 remaining. Two buckets by March, sandwiched by a Murray left-handed scoop brought the Rams within 68-65 with less than one minute to go.
Cornell misfired on its final five shots while the Pioneers sealed the win from the foul line.
The Rams turned the ball over only eight times. Grinnell was fueled by 49.1-percent shooting from the field, including an 11-of-24 touch from 3-point range.