JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – The final ticket to the Midwest Conference Women's Basketball Tournament will boil down to the last day of the regular season. And the Rams still control their own destiny.
Cornell missed an opportunity to secure a berth with Wednesday's 61-50 loss to Illinois College at Sherman Gymnasium.
Nonetheless, the Rams (14-9 overall, 8-7 MWC) remain fourth in the league race heading into Saturday's home showdown with in-state rival Grinnell (10-13 overall, 7-8 MWC) at 3 p.m. inside the Small Athletic and Wellness Center. The winner clinches the final MWC berth.
The Pioneers beat Cornell in the teams' first meeting, 62-50, on Dec. 2.
Cornell appeared well on its way to the postseason with Wednesday's fast 15-2 start against Illinois College (11-13 overall, 7-8 MWC). The Lady Blues climbed back in it with a 26-point second quarter and then outscored the Rams 18-6 in the final period.
Heidi Jorgensen carried the hot hand for the Rams with a career-high 20 points. The junior guard knocked down 6-of-12 shots from 3-point range, just one made three shy of the school record. Jorgensen also grabbed six rebounds, sharing team-high honors with
Darby Haley.
Erin Knowles chipped in 11 points,
Kallynn Stroup seven. Haley added six points off the bench.
Maggie Thompson had five rebounds.
The Lady Blues held a 13-point advantage at the foul line, hitting 14-of-24 free throws. Cornell went 1-of-6 from the charity stripe. The Rams were also hindered by 24 turnovers.
Cora DeSutter paced Illinois College with 15 points and 12 rebounds.
