ITHACA, N.Y. – The St. Bonaventure University women's basketball team dropped a back-and-forth contest at Cornell Tuesday evening, 55-53.
Nadechka Laccen led the Bonnies with 16 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Taylor Napper finished with 12 points while Tianna Johnson chipped in 10.
The Bonnies led for nearly 30 minutes of game time, including a seven-point edge late in the first half.
Heading into the fourth, Cornell was able to make it a one-point game, 43-42, following a steal and score on the first two possessions of the final period.
A 6-0 Big Red run with 4:43 left in the contest gave the hosts their first lead since the game's opening minutes.
Trailing 52-49 with under a minute to play, Laccen drove through the lane for the basket, bringing the Bonnies back within one with 46 seconds remaining in the contest.
Cornell would only make 1-of-2 from the line with 19.8 seconds on the clock.
On the following St. Bonaventure possession, Cornell forced a turnover and the Bonnies were forced to foul.
Laccen cut the deficit back down to one with a layup with 3.4 seconds on the clock as the Bonnies sent Cornell back to the free throw line.
Kaya Ingram would make 1-of-2 at the line and a last second heave for the tie was off the mark for the Bonnies.
A quick basket from the Big Red following the first quarter media timeout tied the game at 10-10 early on.
The Bonnies (2-7) used back-to-back threes from Payton Fields and Laccen to take a 16-10 first-quarter lead before Cornell's Azareya Kilgoe converted at the buzzer to make it a four-point game after one.
It was back-and-forth through the second quarter as the Bonnies were able to take a 26-19 lead after Isabellah Middleton's layup with 13 seconds remaining in the half.
Cornell (5-4) was able end a four-minute scoreless drought with a pair of free throws with 1.4 seconds on the clock, trimming the deficit to 26-21 at halftime.
The Bonnies are back in action Saturday, Dec. 16 at home against Youngstown State. Tip is slated for 1:00 p.m.
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