Cornell’s women’s basketball team made a program-record 15 3-pointers and tied its scoring record Thursday, beating Fredonia 106-37 in its home opener at Newman Arena.
Katie Leonard scored 17 points in 14 minutes, while Brooke Nunnally-Gardner collected 12 points and 15 rebounds as the Big Red improved to 1-1, according to Cornell Athletics.
Second-half defense turns opener into a rout
Cornell allowed eight points after halftime, its fewest in a second half since women’s college basketball switched to quarters in 2015-16.
The Big Red outscored Fredonia 30-2 in the third quarter, opening with a 12-0 run that included consecutive Leonard 3-pointers and closing with 18 unanswered points.
Fredonia shot 1-for-13 and committed six turnovers in that period, and Cornell’s run eventually reached 21-0 as the visitors went more than seven minutes without scoring.
Cornell had led 22-16 after the first quarter, when Fredonia cut into an early 19-5 deficit, before scoring 31 points in the second to take a 53-29 halftime lead.
Ally Pape, Clarke Jackson and Audrey Chen hit 3-pointers early in the second quarter, Nunnally-Gardner added consecutive baskets off Grace Langston assists, and Leonard scored eight points in the final three minutes before halftime.
Leonard, Nunnally-Gardner lead a deep scoring effort
Leonard shot 6-for-9 overall and 5-for-8 from 3-point range, giving Cornell its most individual 3-pointers since Emily Pape made six against Stanford last season.
Nunnally-Gardner’s double-double came in her second college game, and her 15 rebounds included eight on the offensive glass.
Jackson finished with 12 points, six rebounds and four assists in 17 minutes, making three of four shots from the field and both of her 3-point attempts.
Ally Pape added 11 points with three 3-pointers, Ashley Childers scored nine, and Rhylin Fehrenbach and Chen each had eight.
Chen also contributed four assists and two steals, and all 13 Cornell players scored as the Big Red’s bench outscored Fredonia’s reserves 67-8.
Cornell finished 15-for-36 from 3-point range, recorded 27 assists on 37 baskets and committed six turnovers.
The Big Red held a 56-26 rebounding advantage, converting 25 offensive rebounds into 27 second-chance points and scoring 30 points off 23 Fredonia turnovers.
Grace Alexander led Fredonia with 12 points as the visitors shot 26.5% overall and made six of 26 attempts from beyond the arc.
Record score matches January win
Cornell’s 106 points matched its total against SUNY Delhi on Jan. 13, 2026, and the 69-point margin ranks second in program history behind the 79-point margin in that game.
The Big Red scored 53 points in each half Thursday, with Alana Andrews reaching the 100-point mark on a layup with 4:10 remaining and Simone Richmond tying the scoring record with 38 seconds left.
Cornell next visits Syracuse at noon Sunday, Nov. 8, with coverage on ACC Network Extra.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to news@fingerlakes1.com.