ITHACA, N.Y.- Jessica Kovatch (Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg) continued her torrid scoring pace but Cornell held off the Red Flash on Monday night in Newman Arena 75-69.

Kovatch finished with 28and was joined in double figures by Halee Adams (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Bishop Guilfoyle) with 16 but Cornell was able to slow the game down at crucial points and the Flash were unable to completely close the gap late. Nia Marshall led the Big Red with 27, as Cornell pounded the ball down low all night long to the tune of  38 points in the paint. 

Kovatch got off to a hot start, draining two three pointers early to tie the ballgame at eight, she would finish 6-13 from three-point range on Monday. The teams would trade baskets for much of the first quarter with the Red Flash taking their first lead after back-to-back lay-ups by Kovatch and Brielle Ward (Baltimore, Md./Western (Hampton U)) gave them a 13-11 lead, the teams would be tied at 16 after the first. 

Adams continued her hot shooting to start the season, hitting on her first three triples, the second coming early in the second to give SFU a 19-18 lead. A Marshall lay-in followed as Cornell took a 20-19 lead, a lead they would not give up the rest of the contest. A 9-3 run midway through the quarter was the first significant run by either team and gave the Big Red a 29-22 advantage. Kovatch and Courtney Zezza (Plum, Pa./Plum) would connect from long range on consecutive possessions to cut the deficit to three at 31-28. However, Cornell closed the half on a 6-0 run, capped by a Christine Ehland jumper as Cornell led 39-31 at the half. 

Kovatch would connect on two buckets and five early points to lead the Flash out of the halftime break. But they could never get over the hump as Cornell continued to maintain a two-possession lead through the start of the third. The Big Red forced the Flash into a scoring drought midway through the quarter as the lead grew to 11 for Cornell. Kovatch drained a three to cut the lead to eight. But one of the keys plays to the game was a buzzer-beating three by Megan LeDuc to send the Big Red into the fourth with a 61-50 lead. 

Saint Francis stepped up the defense in the fourth quarter, holding the Big Red scorless for the first four minutes of the fourth quarter. The Big Red finally got on the board with a Nia Marshall free throw at the 5:45 mark. However, the Flash were only able two points themselves, cutting the lead to nine in the process. Maya Wynn (Reisterstown, Md./McDonogh) jump started the offense, hitting a three to begin the comeback. 

Kovatch and Adams each hit jumpers inside the final 90 seconds to cut the lead to six. Cornell would turn the ball over and miss crucial free throws to keep the Flash comeback hopes alive. Wynn would bank in another deep three as the Flash got to within four at 73-69. But late free throws iced the game for Cornell as the comeback simply ran out of time. 

Brielle Ward (Baltimore, Md./Western (Hampton U)) led the Red Flash with five rebounds as she battled foul trouble. Samiah Bethel (Jacksonville, Fla./Potter's House Christian Academy) and Katie Reese (Boonton Township, N.J./Mountain Lakes) each dished out four assists to lead the Flash. Saint Francis fell to 1-4 with the loss and will take a break for the Thanksgiving holiday. They will travel to New York City on Tuesday to take on the Columbia Lions. Tip time has moved to a noon start.