With classes winding down and finals-week looming, a two-week hiatus awaits the Cornell women’s basketball team. But before the Red can enjoy its brief vacation, it must first take care of business tonight against the Colgate. The game, which tips-off at 7 p.m. at Newman Arena, will be the final contest for Cornell before the team enters a 15-day break from competitive play.

Colgate is visiting Cornell on the heels of a two-game losing streak, yet the Red cannot afford to take its opponent lightly this evening. The Raiders (5-2, 0-0 Patriot League) began the 2009-2010 season on a roll, winning its first five games by an average of 11.2 points.

Final examinations: Women’s basketball faces its last opponent before a 15 day hiatus tonight at Newman Arena. The Red will take on New York rival Colgate.

“[Colgate is] playing really well right now,” said head coach Dayna Smith. “They have some balanced scoring and they seem to have gained some confidence as a team. It’s going to be a tough game.”

Junior guard Sami Kozlowski has led the way for the Raiders throughout the early portion of the season, averaging 13.3 points and 2.7 assists per game. Fellow guard Jhazmine Lynch has played just as well. The freshman has averaged 10.9 points and 1.8 steals per game and performed well enough last week to be named the Patriot League Rookie of the Week. Center Tricia Oakes and forward Kendra Brim provide most of the low-post production for the Raiders. Oakes is averaging 10.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game and Brim is averaging 8.1 and 5.6 respectively.

“They’re a good team,” said Cornell’s senior captain and second-leading scorer Virginia McMunigal. “They’ve got a lot of solid players. We have to come out full of energy from the get go and make sure that we match their level of play.”

McMunigal and the rest of the Red will be looking to take a two game lead in the all-time series between the two in-state rivals (Cornell currently leads the rivalry, 15-14) with a win over the Raiders tonight. A victory would extend the Red’s win streak against the Raiders to four games and would push Cornell’s record (3-3, 0-0 Ivy League) above .500 for the second time this season.

“We’re definitely excited about the opportunity to play again after the tough loss to Albany,” McMunigal said. (The Red fell to Albany, 80-55, in its most recent contest this past Sunday) “It’d be great to get back on the winning track.”

Coach Smith could not agree more.

“Last Sunday’s game left a bad taste in our mouth, so we’re ready to get back out there and compete,” Smith said. “We played our worst game of the season and everyone is disappointed. We’d like to get this win so we can head into break understanding we’re back on track.”

Senior captain Allie Fedorowicz, who scored a team-high 25 points in Cornell’s loss to Albany, has led the team in scoring throughout the season with an average of 14.3 points per game. McMunigal has provided the second-highest scoring output on the team, averaging 11.8 points per game. Cornell’s third senior captain, Lauren Benson, has helped quarterback the Red offense, averaging 9.5 points and a team-leading 7.3 assists per game. A trio of underclassmen, Clare Fitzpatrick, Taylor Flynn, and Allie Munson, has provided significant offensive output, as well. All three have averaged over six points per game through the team’s first six games.

According to McMunigal, Cornell’s success tonight will be determined by how ready the team is to play come game-time.

“[We need to] play with intensity and a high level of energy,” McMunigal said. “It would be great to get a win going into this little break we have during study period.”

The Red will be using the break to rest and recuperate after an up-and-down start to the season. The Cornell players shouldn’t get too comfortable (how could they with finals waiting in the corner?), however, as a daunting schedule lies ahead. Beginning with a matchup against the Manhattan Jaspers on December 19 in Riverdale, NY, the Red will play four of its next five games on the road; including a potential date with No. 14 Virginia in Charlottesville at the Virginia Holiday Tournament.

“We understand that the schedule is challenging but that’s the way we made it, we did it on purpose,” Smith said. “We feel like if we play better competition through the early portion of the season it will really prepare us for Ivy play.”

McMunigal feels that a win tonight could help set the tone for the Red heading into this grueling stretch.

“We definitely hope to gain some momentum and get back to our style of play,” McMunigal said. “Hopefully that will carry over into our winter [schedule].”