Jan. 4, 2007

Box Score

ITHACA, NY - Cornell won its third straight women's basketball game, defeating New Jersey Institute of Technology, 65-42, Thursday night.

The Big Red, which opened the season with losses in its first seven games, has won four of the last five and held its last three opponents, including NJIT, under 43 points.

Cornell began its defense-powered run with a 57-42 win over Wagner on December 30 and then scored a 66-38 win over neighboring Ithaca on January 2.

Each team had one double-figure scorer in the game, as Cornell's junior forward Moina Snyder led the way with a career-high 21 points. Snyder, who also grabbed a personal-best and game-high 14 rebounds, shot 8-for-11 from the field and 5-for-6 at the foul line. Snyder also shared the team steals lead with Shannen Scarselletta, at 3 apiece.

NJIT's top scorer was freshman Katie Piekielski, who finished with 13 points. Jill Dickinson's 6 rebounds led the Highlanders on the boards, while Taiwo Oyelola came off the bench for five rebounds in eight minutes.

Senior Kelly Crowe, NJIT's career and season record-holder in steals, took the ball away from Cornell three times, as did Piekielski. Crowe finished as NJIT's second-leading scorer, netting eight points--all in the second half.

Taiwo's twin sister, Kehinde, who was sidelined since injuring her knee on December 12, returned to action against Cornell and collected 7 points and 4 rebounds in 14 minutes of play in her comeback game.

Snyder, a junior college transfer, is in a hot streak, having also led her team in points and rebounds for the first time this season with 15 points and 9 rebounds two days earlier against Ithaca.

The Highlanders, who triumphed on an NCAA Division I opponent's court for the first time in a 70-59 win at Lafayette last Thursday, were facing their second Ivy League opponent in Cornell. NJIT had played at Princeton on December 6.

Having reached the 70-point mark in a game for the third time this season in the win at Lafayette, NJIT was unable to keep a similar scoring pace against Cornell and managed 13 first-half points against the Big Red, which held a 29-13 advantage through the first 20 minutes.

Neither team scored until Piekielski staked NJIT to a 2-0 lead on a bucket 4:31 into the game, but Snyder answered for Cornell 50 seconds later and the Big Red eventually claimed a 5-2 lead.

The game was still close at 8-6 for Cornell after Piekielski's basket for NJIT with 11:56 left in the first half. But the home team took control with a 14-3 run over the next 8:16, going up, 22-9, after Snyder's tally with 3:40 left in the half. In all, Cornell outscored the Highlanders, 21-7, over the last 12 minutes of the half.

The Highlanders bounced back with 31 second-half points against Cornell, but could not make a dent in the Big Red lead. Crowe had eight points and Dickinson chipped in six to lead NJIT in the second half.

NJIT will play the third of six straight road games when it visits Long Island University for a 7 pm game Saturday in Brooklyn, NY.