This weekend's contests for the women's basketball team looked oddly similar to last weekend's. Columbia, which is 13-7, and Cornell, which has yet to win an Ivy League game, resembled last weekend's league-leading Princeton and 1-18 Penn. But team records weren't the only similarities between the two weekends, as Brown went 1-1 for the second week in a row.
Columbia 65, Brown 60
Friday night's game in the Pizzitola Center was a thriller, with 11 lead changes and seven ties. For much of the game, it looked as though the Bears would pull off the upset against the Lions.
"We are trying to ruin other team's seasons and make a run for the championship," said co-captain Natalie Bonds '10.
During the first half, Brown had a nine-point lead before Columbia gained a one-point advantage heading into the locker room.
The Bears only led twice in the second half and shot just 16 percent from three-point range. Lindsay Nickel '13 and Christina Johnson '10 led the Bears with a combined 32 points and 11 rebounds.
Bruno took it down to the wire, trailing by one with just a minute left in the game.
However, four free-throws by the Big Red sealed the deal for Cornell.
"We should have came out 2-0 this weekend, but you can't cry over spilled milk," Bonds said. "I think this weekend gave the Ivy League a wake-up call about Brown. We can compete with the best."
Cornell 54, Brown 61
With a bitter taste in their mouths, the Bears got a chance at redemption at Saturday's home matchup against Cornell. Nine players on the Bears' roster played double-digit minutes. Hannah Passafuime '12 was the story of the night. She played all but two minutes and put up 22 points, sinking nine of 11 from the free-throw line and 60 percent from beyond the arc.
With Cornell up one at the half, the Bears attacked in the second half and outscored their opponent, 38-30, with smart shots and hard defense. The Bears forced the Big Red into 19 turnovers — an effort led by Bonds, who had 12 rebounds and five steals.
Bruno held a 10-point lead, its largest of the night, with 11 seconds left, before a Cornell three made the final score a seven-point victory. The Bears ended the night shooting 33 percent from the floor, had just 12 turnovers and out-rebounded Cornell, 45-37. The win made Brown even in conference games, with a 3-3 record.
The ladies travel to Hanover, N.H., on Friday to take on Dartmouth at 7 p.m. and then to Harvard for a 6 p.m. tipoff the following evening.
