ITHACA, N.Y. – In a back-and-forth contest, the UMass Lowell women's basketball team ran out of steam in the final quarter as Cornell was able to earn the 63-54 victory on Saturday afternoon.
 
 The Big Red (2-1) held a 45-43 lead heading into the fourth and used stifling defense and 12-2 run in the first five minutes to hold off the River Hawks (2-2).

"Both teams played a hard-fought game that was full of passion and energy. but it's tough to win on the road with so many turnovers," remarked Head Coach Tom Garrick. "We had too many miscues and that allowed Cornell to force us into a different game than we're used to. We didn't make enough basketball plays to come out with the victory but that's something we can work on and get better at."
 
Brianna Rudolph (Lynn, Mass.) led the visitors with 14 points, and Ren'Cia Rolling (Lansing, Ill.) grabbed 10 rebounds while adding five assists. Cornell's Samantha Widmann led all scorers with 16 points and Danielle Jorgensen chipped in 12.
 
UMass Lowell jumped out to a 7-4 lead, but Cornell took its first lead with a 5-0 run with under five to play in the first quarter. Following a four straight for the visitors a fast-paced final two minutes of the quarter saw the River Hawks go on a 6-2 run and take a 17-13 lead into the second quarter.
 
Bri Stiers (Denver, Colo.) put up six points in the opening period, and the UMass Lowell defense forced six turnovers to help spark the offense.
 
The Bid Red turned up the defense en route to a 10-2 run to start the second period, a spurt that lasted until Rolling's free throw with 4:38 on the clock. The junior's visit to the charity stripe sparked five straight points that pushed the River Hawks back in front, 24-23, with just over three minutes to play.
 
Cornell ended a 5:19 stretch of empty possessions with a three-pointer to regain the lead with 2:14 remaining, but Linda Svenne (Riga, Latvia) answered with a triple of her own. The Big Red ended the half on a 6-2 run, hitting two more threes, to take a 32-29 lead into the second half.
 
The teams went back and forth in the third, but most of the scoring came from the free throw line as the squads combined to shoot 13-of-15. Cornell tried to run away from UMass Lowell, but two buckets in 24 seconds from Rudolph and Rolling swung the momentum and knotted the score at 37-37 with under five on the clock.
 
Rudolph added an and-one in the period, and both lineups traded baskets down the stretch with Cornell holding onto a one-possession lead heading into the final quarter.
 
The River Hawks continue their road swing with a matchup at Butler in historic Hinkle Fieldhouse on November 20.