Cornell women’s basketball took a two-point deficit into the fourth quarter but could not keep pace late as No. 19 Princeton pulled away for a 72-61 victory Saturday evening at Jadwin Gymnasium.
Junior Rachel Kaus led the Big Red with a season-high 20 points on 8-for-12 shooting. Senior Emily Pape added 14 points, while junior Clarke Jackson finished with 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Sophomore Kelsey Langston directed the offense with eight assists. Cornell shot 52.1 percent from the field, including 43.8 percent from three-point range.
Princeton was powered by Skye Belker and Olivia Hutcherson, who each scored 20 points and combined to shoot 17-for-26. Belker connected on five 3-pointers and added five assists, while Fatima Tall grabbed a team-high nine rebounds. The Tigers shot 50.9 percent overall and 42.9 percent from beyond the arc.
Cornell stayed within striking distance early, trailing 18-16 after the first quarter. After a brief Princeton surge in the second, Cornell responded with an 8-0 run, highlighted by six points from Kaus, to take its first lead. Jackson’s jumper late in the half tied the game at 27-27 heading into the break.
Pape opened the second half with back-to-back 3-pointers as Cornell built its largest lead of the night, 41-37. Princeton answered with an 11-5 run to close the third quarter ahead 48-46.
The Tigers opened the fourth on a 10-2 run and maintained control down the stretch, outscoring Cornell 24-15 in the final period.
Cornell (8-12, 3-4 Ivy) returns home Saturday, February 7, to host Columbia at Newman Arena in a 1 p.m. conference matchup.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.
