EMMITSBURG, Md. (November 18, 2023) – Junior Jo Raflo had a sensational day scoring, but Mount St. Mary's women's basketball struggled in most other facets, resulting in a home opener loss to the Cornell Big Red, 52-47.
 
Raflo finished with a career high 26 points, including 24 of them from long distance, obliterating her old career best of three. Her nine field goals also edged her former high mark of eight, set last year against Rider.
 
Four other members of the team posted a bucket, led by Isabella Hunt with seven. Jessica Tomasetti finished with game-highs of seven rebounds and five assists. Turnovers and fouls drawn were also factors – 20 giveaways and 25 Big Red trips to the free throw line, resulting in 41 of the opposition's 52.
 
Raflo accounted for all the team's points in the opening quarter, posting five treys in the first 10 minutes to electrify the exuberant crowd. Cornell withstood the challenge, hitting two triples of their own and hitting 8-of-9 from the charity stripe for an 18-15 lead. Both sides struggled to score in the second quarter with 11 combined points.
 
Overcoming the small deficit, Tomasetti hit a fast break layup at the 7:47 mark of the third quarter to pull the contest even. Raflo rallied again for two more from beyond-the-arc, and Hunt followed suit which put the Mount up five. That was responded in turn by an 8-0 Big Red run which transferred the advantage back. The Mountaineers managed to get within two at one point, but Cornell was able to preserve the lead down the stretch with a befuddling press break and effective foul shooting.
 
Mount St. Mary's falls to 1-2 on the year with the defeat.
 
This coming Wednesday (Nov. 22), the Mount takes to the road to face Fairleigh Dickinson University. Tipoff is at noon from Stratis Arena.