Defense Sends Dartmouth Women Past Cornell, 55-53

Friday, January 29

Hanover, N.H.

7:00 PM

Dartmouth College

CORNELL

Princeton Women Hold off Dartmouth in Ivy Battle

Defense Sends Dartmouth Women Past Cornell, 55-53

1/29/2010 9:30:00 PM | Women's Basketball

By: Dartmouth

Boxscore

HANOVER, N.H. - It was déjà vu all over again - literally - for the Dartmouth women's basketball team, which used yet another a defensive stand to win its third straight game, 55-53 over Cornell.

For the second straight Ivy game, Margaret Smith (Fort Worth, Texas) was the hero for the Big Green, hitting the game-winning free throws, going three-of-four at the line in the last 46 seconds.

The Big Green improved to 7-9 overall and 2-0 in Ivy play while Cornell dropped to 5-10, 0-3 Ivy. Dartmouth shot 34.5 percent for the game while Cornell hit 36.7 percent. The Big Green narrowly controlled the boards, 37-35.

Brittney Smith recorded her second consecutive double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds to lead Dartmouth. Senior Betsy Williams (Norwich, Vt.) added nine points, six rebounds and played tremendous defense to force Cornell's Lauren Benson into nine turnovers along with her nine assists. Rookie Faziah Steen (Kalamazoo, Mich.) scored only six points, but dished out six assists and had four key steals.

Dartmouth came all the way back from an eight-point halftime deficit and ultimately found itself tied with Cornell, 51-51 with just 2:01 to play in the game. Brittney Smith hit one of two at the line to put the Green up 52-51, but Cornell's Allie Fedorowicz got herself to the line on the next possession and gave the Big Red a 53-52 lead with 1:15 to play.

Margaret Smith drove to the basket and was fouled, hitting both free throws to put the Big Green up for good, 54-53 with 46 seconds on the clock. Dartmouth made a huge defensive play as Brittney Smith stole the ball and got it to Meghan McFee (Manchester, Conn.) with 22 ticks on the clock. Though she missed both free throws, Dartmouth made another amazing defensive stand, this time forcing Benson out of bounds with three seconds left, ultimately giving Smith the chance to hit another free throw with less than a second to play for the win.

Dartmouth played one of its worst defensive halves of the season in the first, allowing Cornell to shot 48 percent from the floor, including draining six back-breaking threes. The Big Green countered by pounding it inside but struggled to get to the free throw line. Dartmouth shot just 31 percent from the floor and was outrebounded, 19-15.

Steen got going early, scoring Dartmouth's first bucket and dishing an assist to Williams, who put the Big Green up 5-4 with a three at 16:20. Brittney Smith converted a conventional three-point play a minute later and Dartmouth went ahead, 8-4 at 15:20.

Cornell stormed back, going on an 11-0 run that included three straight triples to go up 15-8 at 12:22, a lead it would not relinquish for the rest of the half. Michelle Meyer stopped the bleeding with a nice take at and the teams traded buckets before the Big Red hit back-to-back threes from Allie Fedorowicz and Lauren Benson to go up 27-16 at 3:36.

Dartmouth got a shot in the arm late when Steen scored five straight to cut the lead to 30-23 a 1:24, but gave it right back with yet another three for the Big Red. Williams drove the lane and went up strong on Dartmouth's final possession, and finally got to the line on her second attempt. She hit both free throws to make it 33-25 at the half.

The Big Green came charging out of the gates in the second, opening the half on an 11-0 run, going up 36-33 at 15:41. Brittney Smith scored seven points during the run, while Dartmouth forced Cornell into five fouls and five turnovers, including two steals by Steen.

Cornell did not get on the board in the second half until Clare Fitzpatrick hit a free throw at 14:17 and did not have its first field goal until she scored on a layup at 12:42, making it 38-36, Dartmouth. Brittney Smith got a bucket inside before McFee hit a huge three to put Dartmouth ahead, 43-36 at 11:33, capping an 18-3 run.

Dartmouth was unable to capitalize on that dagger, as Cornell hit back-to-back transition threes to slice the lead to just 43-42 at 10:50. Both offenses stalled out from that point, as Dartmouth scored just 12 more points and Cornell, 11.

Taylor Flynn tied the game at the free throw line, 44-44 at 8:42 for Cornell before Fitzpatrick hit two free throws to give her team a 46-44 lead at 6:57. A free throw from Steen and two by William put Dartmouth back ahead, up 47-46 at 5:43.

The teams traded a few more points before Brittney Smith put Dartmouth back ahead, 51-49 at 3:05. Cornell benefitted from three offensive rebounds on the next possession and Allie Munson ultimately tied the game at 51-51, setting up the dramatic finale.

Dartmouth hosts Columbia, who has come on strong of late, in a critical early season matchup tomorrow at 7 p.m.