Marie-Lidd receives double-double in loss to Buena Vista

Cornell received a double-double from sophomore Camille Marie-Lidd (Marion/Cedar Rapids Washington) and a career-high 17 points from freshman guard Caitlin Bisinger (Monmouth/Midland) in a 73-63 Iowa Conference loss to Buena Vista Saturday in Storm Lake.

The Rams (7-9 overall, 2-7 IIAC) trailed by four points at halftime and pulled to within 51-46 after a pair of Bisinger free throws with 8:13 remaining. Buena Vista answered with a 14-3 spurt over the next four minutes to take control.

“Defensively and offensively we played pretty well on both ends of the floor,” Cornell head coach Brent Brase said. “We had good effort and energy, and gave ourselves a chance on the road. The key for us down the stretch is to continue to take care of the ball and to get more scoring production from our bench.”

Marie-Lidd was tough in the paint, netting 22 points on 10-of-18 shooting and grabbing a game-high 12 rebounds, including six on the offensive end. It was her fourth 20-point effort this season and second double-double of the month.

Bisinger shot 5-of-12 from the floor and buried four 3-point goals. Kathryn Schilling (Dubuque/Dubuque Senior) was the third Ram to score in double figures, totaling 14 points to go with three assists and three steals. Taylor Tvede (Albuquerque, N.M./La Cueva) added five rebounds and three assists.

The Beavers had a 13-point advantage from the foul line, hitting 21-of-30 free throws. Cornell went 8-of-13 from the line. The hosts also held a 29-6 edge in bench points.

Postseason position – With seven games remaining in the regular season, the Rams are among four teams battling for the sixth and final spot in the IIAC Tournament Feb. 22-26. Cornell currently stands seventh at 2-7 in the league, one spot behind Dubuque at 3-5. Luther and Central are tied for eighth at 1-8.

Cornell can gain ground in the standings with an important home game Wednesday against Dubuque. The Rams beat the Spartans, 63-45, earlier this season in Dubuque. Cornell is back at home Saturday to face Wartburg (15-3, 6-3), which beat the Rams 64-46 in Waverly.

Climbing career charts – Marie-Lidd moved into a tie with 2010 graduate Kristin Paczosa for 13th place on Cornell's career scoring list Saturday with 681 points. The Rams' 6-foot-2 center has 301 career rebounds, good for 16th place all-time.

Marie-Lidd entered the week as the conference leader in scoring (15.5 ppg) and co-leader in rebounding (7.9 rpg). She is shooting 49.2 percent from the field, fifth in the IIAC.