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'xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = 'urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags' />Dec. 2, 2003

Contact: Amanda Brickell

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Hamilton, NY — All five of ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ starters scored in double-figures as ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ defeated upstate rival Cornell 77-63 on Tuesday evening.  Freshman Molly Patterson (Euclid, Ohio) led the Raiders while tying her career-high with 17 points. 

Senior tri-captain Malissa Burke (Traverse City, Mich.) added 16 points, while junior Emily Braseth (E. Grand Rapids, Mich.) was just one rebound shy of a double-double with nine grabs and 13 points.  Despite spending much of the first half on the bench with foul troubles, Chigozie Ozor (Ann Arbor, Mich.) contributed 12 points to the win, and junior forward Leandra Fuller chipped in 10.

¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ came out hard taking an early 5-0 lead punctuated by a three-point play from Braseth.  With 14:10 left to play in the first, junior Milaina Lagzdins (Burlington, Ont.) increased the margin to nine with a jumper that put ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ up 15-6.  Cornell’s Lauren Kilduff closed the gap to five with a field goal at the ten minute mark, but ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ regained the lead and increased its edge to 12 on a three-pointer from Patterson with 5:41 remaining. 

Cornell managed to come within four before Fuller notched a jumper and sophomore Meghan Curtin (Bronx, N.Y.) dropped a shot from behind the arc to increase the deficit to nine.  The Big Red’s Karen Force responded with four points in the final two minutes to send Cornell into the locker room down just 36-31.

¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ scored the first six points of the second half and used their momentum to ignite a 12-5 run and bring the score to 48-36.  Cornell came within nine points on three occasions before the Raiders extended their advantage to 18 on a three-pointer from Burke.  With ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ leading 66-48, the Big Red took off on a 13-2 run to cut the ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ lead to 68-61 with less than two minutes to play.  The Raiders held their ground sinking nine of 10 free-throw attempts to seal the 77-63 victory.

Tanya Karcic led the Big Red with a game-high 19 points.  Force contributed 11, while Kilduff and Katie Romey added 12 and 11 respectively.  Tonight’s loss drops Cornell’s record to 0-4.

The Raiders move to 4-1 on the season for the first-time since the 1982-83 campaign.  The Raiders are in action again this Saturday as they face Albany at 1:00 p.m. at the Recreation and Convocation Center in Albany, N.Y.