Cornell women’s basketball struggled to regain momentum after halftime as Wagner pulled away for a 67-54 victory Sunday at Spiro Sports Center. The Big Red fall to 4-4, while Wagner improves to 2-5.
Junior Clarke Jackson led Cornell with 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting, adding four rebounds and two steals. Senior Emily Pape contributed 11 points and three rebounds, while junior Rachel Kaus added 10 points and three steals. Sophomore Paige Engels chipped in seven points and four assists.
The Big Red shot 41.7 percent from the field but managed just one three-pointer on 15 attempts. Wagner finished 50 percent from the floor, hitting five of 12 shots from beyond the arc, and held a 34-26 rebounding edge. Cornell forced 18 turnovers but could not convert enough into points to close the gap.
Wagner’s Raneem Elbarky led all scorers with 15 points, while Lijirin Doyinsola Modesayor added 12 and Irene Fernandez de Caleya contributed 11. The Seahawks built a 32-28 halftime lead, then expanded it to 51-39 after a 19-11 third quarter advantage. Wagner’s bench provided 30 points compared to 12 from Cornell reserves.
The Big Red made a late push in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to nine, but Wagner’s free-throw shooting (12-for-18) sealed the win. Cornell finished 13-for-21 from the line.
Next, Cornell travels to face Lehigh on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].