Gaziano, Dale Propel Women’s Basketball Past Cornell, 77-73

Saturday, February 22

Providence, R.I.

5:00 PM

Brown University

8-15, 2-8Ivy

Cornell

9-13, 2-8Ivy

Cornell

Brown

Gaziano, Dale Propel Women’s Basketball Past Cornell, 77-73

2/22/2020 8:10:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Senior guard Justine Gaziano netted a season-high 28 points, made a career-high six 3-pointers, and scored the go-ahead basket with 4.6 seconds left as Brown University women's basketball bested Cornell University, 77-73, on Saturday evening at the Pizzitola Sports Center.

The Bears (8-15, 2-8 Ivy) led 49-41 at halftime and remained ahead 68-62 in the fourth quarter before the visiting Big Red (9-13, 2-8 Ivy) tied the game at 73-73 with under a minute to play – making way for Gaziano (Natick, Mass.) to score the game's final four points to lead Brown to the victory.

"It's a game of ups and downs, and I thought our players did an awesome job," Brown head coach Sarah Behn said. "Every time they made a run, we made one. We just battled."

Gaziano scored her 28 points on 10-of-20 field goals and 6-of-14 3-pointers alongside four rebounds and two blocks. She netted six 3-pointers in a game for the third time in her career. She scored in double figures for the 18^th time this season and 86^th time in her career and eclipsed the 20-point plateau for the seventh time this year and 37^th time in her career.

Gaziano now has 1,759 career points, moving into 13^th place in Ivy League history and has 628 career made field goals, moving into fourth place in program history. She increased her career 3-point total to 198 and career free throw total to 305.

"It's been my honor to coach Justine for four years," Behn said. "She's so skilled with her 3-point shot and her ability to get leak-out layups. She's such a wonderful person and has also worked hard on her defense and rebounding. She's a great player. Other teams key on her, and she has to work really hard to get what she gets."

Junior guard McKenna Dale (Storrs, Conn.) totaled 25 points on 8-of-14 field goals and 4-of-8 3-pointers to go with six rebounds, five assists, five blocks, and four steals. She netted over 20 points for the third time this season, scored in double figures for the 13^th time in her last 14 games, and tied her career high with four treys.

Sophomore guard Maddie Mullin (Wellesley, Mass.) scored 12 points, hitting 4-of-9 3-pointers. She knocked down four 3-pointers for the third time in Ivy play this season.

Junior guard Dominique Leonidas dished out a game and career-high nine assists and scored seven points.

For Cornell, Shannon Mulroy (15 points), Laura Bagwell-Katalinich (15), Samantha Widmann (14), and Samantha Will (13) all scored in double figures.

"Cornell is one of the most physical teams in the league and one of the best offensive rebounding teams," Behn said. "I'm really proud that we were more physical tonight."

For the game, the Bears hit 15 3-pointers – one shy of the program record – connecting on 45.5 percent of their attempts, while limiting the Big Red to 2-of-13 shooting (15.4 percent) from 3-point distance.

The Bears opened the game with an 11-7 lead as Dale, Gaziano, and Mullin all hit 3-pointers. After Cornell pulled ahead 16-11, treys from Mullin and Gaziano helped Brown pull within 23-21 at the end of the first quarter. The Bears hit 7-of-12 field goals and 5-of-8 treys in the opening frame.

Brown increased its production in the second quarter scoring 28 points on 10-of-17 field goals and 7-of-12 triples. A 3-point play from Dale and 3-pointer from freshman guard Sydney Rosant (Foster City, Ga.) pushed Brown ahead 29-23. A trio of 3-pointers from Gaziano and a trey from Mullin kept the Bears up 41-36 with 2:49 to go in the half. Another triple from Mullin and a 3-pointer from Dale staked the hosts to a 49-41 halftime edge.

In the first half, Brown hit 17-of-29 field goals (58.3 percent), 12-of-20 triples (60.0 percent), and 3-of-3 free throws (100.0 percent).

In the third quarter, a triple from Dale allowed Brown to maintain a 56-51 edge bfore Cornell took a 58-56 lead with 1:41 left in the frame. Five points from Dale – including another 3-pointer – pushed the Bears back ahead 61-60 heading to the fourth quarter.

The Bears went up 68-62 with 6:37 remaining behind baskets from Dale and Gaziano and a 3-point play from Leonidas. The Big Red countered with an 8-1 run, moving ahead 70-69 with 3:31 to play. A 3-pointer from Gaziano with 2:58 left put Brown back up 72-70 prior to Cornell taking a 73-72 edge with 1:34 to go.

A free throw from Dale with 53.7 seconds left tied the game at 73-73. After Cornell grabbed a defensive rebound with 13 seconds to play, Gaziano came up with a steal and converted the go-ahead driving layup with 4.6 seconds to go, making the score 75-73. On the Big Red's final possession, Dale forced a jump ball, giving the ball back to Brown and allowing Gaziano to seal the game with two free throws with 0.2 seconds remaining.

Brown evened the season series with Cornell at 1-1 after the Big Red edged the Bears 74-63 in Ithaca, N.Y., on Jan. 31.

As part of the Bears' Lace Up 4 Pediatric Cancer game, both teams wore yellow shoelaces to support research and awareness for cancer in children.

Next, Brown makes its final road trip of the regular season, playing at Princeton on Friday. Feb. 28 at 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+) and at Penn on Saturday, Feb. 29 at 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+).

Video of all Brown women's basketball home contests and all Ivy League games, home and away, will be broadcast live on ESPN+.

Tickets for all Brown women's basketball games can be purchased online, by calling the Brown Athletics Ticket Office at (401) 863-2773, or by walking up to the box office located in the Pizzitola Sports Center, open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.