GRINNELL, Iowa – Alex Neckopulos '17 shattered the Grinnell College women's basketball record for rebounds in a game in the Pioneers' 80-72 loss to Cornell  College Wednesday at Darby Gymnasium.
 
Neckopulos grabbed 23 boards to top the record of 21 set by Audrey Crawford in 1983 and tied in 1985 by Elizabeth McGimsey.
 
Alissa Hirsh '16 scored a game-high 22 points for the Pioneers, who fell to 2-2 in the Midwest Conference and 2-5 overall.Sophia Gatton '17 added 13 points and Leah Greenberg '17 tallied 12.
 
Hirsh also had four assists and three steals, while Gatton added four assists.
 
Cornell, the two-time defending MWC regular-season champ, improved to 1-2 in the league and 3-3 in all games.
 
Grinnell shot out to a 5-0 lead and led 30-24 before the Rams went on an 18-point run. Gatton ended that spurt with a 3-pointer to make it a 42-33 Cornell lead at intermission.
 
The Rams went up by as many as 11 in the second half and still led by nine with 9:57 to go before Grinnell answered with a 13-2 run. Greenberg and Neckopulos hit jumpers to start things off, bringing Grinnell within 60-55.
 
After Cornell got a pair of free throws, Gattton and Kaitlyn Norton '17 each drained 3-pointers to make it a one-point game at 62-61. Hirsh then made a layup and free throw with 5:44 remaining to push the hosts ahead by two.
 
However, the Rams then went on an eight-point run to take command for good.
 
Grinnell got as close as three when Greenberg's trey made it 75-72 with 1:00 left. But Cornell closed out the game with five consecutive points to secure the win.
 
The Pioneers play at St. Norbert College Saturday, starting at 1 p.m.