Taylor Dicus posted a double-double with 16 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Cornell College women’s basketball team to a 68-54 Midwest Conference victory over a scrappy Lawrence University squad on Saturday at Alexander Gymnasium.
Rikki Mulloy scored a team-high 19 points for Cornell (7-0, 3-0 MWC), which remains unbeaten this season.
Alex Deshler scored a season-high 21 points to pace the Vikings (1-6, 0-5). Deshler hit 8 of 13 shots from the floor, including 3 of 5 from 3-point range. Amber Lisowe added 18 points, and Kaite Schumacher pulled down a team-best eight rebounds.
With its superior size, Cornell flexed its muscle down low with 30 points in the paint and a 47-31 rebounding advantage.
Lawrence hung with the powerful Rams deep into the first half. The Vikings led 8-7 early, and Cornell was unable to pull away. After Patsy Kealey’s jumper cut Cornell’s lead to 20-17 with 5:31 left in the first half, Cornell went on a 10-2 to finish the half. The Rams led 30-19 at the break.
Early in the second half, Cornell went on a 17-2 run, capped by Dicus’ short jumper, to pull out to a 49-26 lead with 11:50 remaining. The Vikings battled back with an 8-0 run as Lisowe hit back-to-back 3-pointers and Aubrey Lawlor made a pair of free throws to trim Cornell’s lead to 52-38 with 7:45 left.
Cornell got a three-point play from Dicus to stop the momentum, and Lawrence didn’t get closer than 14 points the rest of the way.
Lawrence returns to action on Tuesday when it travels to Finlandia University for a nonconference game.