EASTON, Pa. – After a frigid opening quarter on Thursday afternoon, the Lafayette women's basketball team overcame a 15-point deficit to take the lead with 53 seconds remaining, but ran out of gas down the stretch as Cornell defeated the Leopards, 62-59, at Kirby Sports Center.

Sophomore Drew Freeland led all scorers with a career-high 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting, including a career-best five 3-point field goals.

Cornell (4-5) jumped out to a 13-0 lead before Freeland scored the Leopards' (5-5) first points with 1:06 left in the first quarter. Lafayette was able to cut the deficit to single-digits heading into the break as Freeland scored with three seconds remaining in the second quarter to head into the locker room trailing, 30-21.

The Leopards came out of the break firing, as Freeland opened the scoring with a mid-range jumper followed by a sophomore Natalie Kucowski 3-pointer off the Freeland assist.

The run continued when freshman Nicole Johnson hit Freeland who knocked down another triple to make it a one-point game with 6:52 left in the third.

Cornell answered with a 7-0 run of its own before sophomore Olivia Martino scored the final five points of the frame on a 3-pointer and a buzzer-beating layup to head into the fourth down, 45-37.

Martino continued to be the hot hand as Cornell opened the final frame with a 3-pointer that was immediately answered by the Lanham, Maryland native. Only one point was scored by the Big Red for the next three minutes and Martino scored her 10^th straight Lafayette point with a layup from Kucowski.

Martino finished with 10 points and four rebounds, her fourth consecutive game in double-figures.

The Maroon and White trailed 57-51 before senior Alex Cantwell cut to the basket and converted the layup through contact, converted the free throw, and trimmed the Cornell lead to three with 1:57 to play.

Cornell turned it over on the ensuing possession and Kucowski went straight to the rim to make it a one-point game. It put the Philadelphia native into double-figures as she finished with 10 points and 13 points for her sixth double-double of the season and 15^th of her career.

Another Big Red turnover led to a pull-up jumper by Johnson to give Lafayette its first lead of the game with 53 seconds left at 58-57. Cornell turned it over for the third straight possession and Kucowski hit 1-of-2 free throws before a Cornell and-one by Samantha Clement who converted the free throw to take the lead back, 60-59, with 12 seconds remaining.

Cornell hit two more free throws in the closing seconds to seal the game.

Johnson was in double-figures for the first time in her career with 10 points, two rebounds and two assists.

The Leopards head into the holidays at .500 with one non-conference game remaining when they travel to LIU Brooklyn on Dec. 29 before opening Patriot League play on Jan. 3, hosting Lehigh.

For the latest on the Lafayette College women's basketball program, follow the Leopards on Twitter @LafayetteWBB, Facebook at Lafayette Women's Basketball, and Instagram @LafayetteWBB.