Cornell takes a nail-biter on the road at Flambeau

By Ginna Young The week ended on an exciting note for the Cornell girls basketball program, as they came off a losing streak. Jan. 28 vs. New Auburn conference (L 52-34) Cornell was at home, facing off with New Auburn, who always proves a challenge and did so this time around, claiming the victory, 52-34. Senior Bralee Schroeder led the way, with 15 points, followed by sophomore Haylee Ellis, with 13 points, and sophomore Anelise Larson had 10 rebounds. “New Auburn is a really good team,” said coach Stacy Schroeder. “I think we held up well against them, and played good defense and rebounded well.” Jan. 30 vs. Butternut non-conference (L 70-55) A couple days later, the Chiefs stepped out of the conference to host Butternut, but came up short, dropping the match, 70-55. “They were a fast-paced team, with a lot of length,” said S. Schroeder. “They pressured us the whole game pretty much and we did a decent job of getting through that.” B. Schroeder came up big on the night, with 27 points, while Ellis was right behind, with 26. “I was happy with the way we played and it provided a good experience for us,” said S. Schroeder. “The girls kept pushing and never gave up.” Jan. 31 vs. Flambeau conference (W 62-60) With no time to rest, Cornell headed to Flambeau, for a battle between the teams. “We started the game pretty slow, with Flambeau taking an early 13-point lead,” said S. Schroeder. “We kept chipping away and the gap was down to seven by the half. The score went back and forth for most of the second.” With mere seconds left, the game was tied, with both teams in the double bonus and only six seconds left for the Chiefs to attempt a shot, from the far side of the court. “It was our possession and I had Bralee inbound the ball right to Haylee, and told her to take it all the way, assuming they would most likely have to foul her, which meant two free throws for us and Haylee rarely misses a FT,” said S. Schroeder. “She put up a shot at the buzzer and was fouled, made both her free throws with no time left on the clock, securing the win.” Ellis finished with 19 points, while B. Schroeder had 16 and Larson added 8. Sophomore Annabelle King contributed 5 points and freshman Kaitlyn Helland chipped in with 2. “It was a very exciting game and a great win for us,” said S. Schroeder. “All the girls scored, which also made a huge impact.” Cornell sits at 4-13 on the season and 3-6 in the East Lakeland Conference.