MOUNT VERNON – Coe got hot while the Rams turned cold during a pivotal second quarter as Cornell's women's basketball team fell 59-40 in Friday's season opener inside the Small Athletic and Wellness Center.
 
Cornell's young squad hung with the American Rivers Conference preseason favorite, take away an eight-minute spell which saw Coe's two-point lead grow to 34-15 at halftime.
 
The Kohawks, a 20-win team a season ago, hit 10-of-14 shots during their 23-9 second quarter run. The Rams, picked second in the Midwest Conference, played their Linn County rival even after intermission, 25-25.
 
Sophomore Erin Knowles led the Rams with 13 points, including a 7-of-8 touch from the foul line. The 2025 MWC Newcomer of the Year also grabbed five rebounds.
 
Heidi Jorgensen pitched in 10 points. Caroline Kron had a team-high seven rebounds in her Cornell debut.   
 
The Kohawks finished with 11 3-pointers on the night, including six from Taryn Kravig who led all scorers with 20 points. Cornell went just 3-of-21 from beyond the arc. The Rams held a 35-34 edge in rebounds.
 
Coe earned its fifth point in the 2025-26 Bremner Cup All-Sport Series.  
 
Coming up – The Rams play host to Rockford at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.