KALAMAZOO, MI -- The Cornell University men's basketball team did not meet a shot it didn't like Friday against Western Michigan University. The Big Red, who entered the game against the Broncos at University Arena tied for 16th in the country with 151 attempts from 3-point range, put up 41 shots from deep and made 16 of them (40 percent) against WMU. However, the Broncos answered with a steady dose of senior Shayne Whittington and sophomore Connar Tava, whose offensive repertoire is increasing by the day, to muscle out an 83-70 win in front of 2,566 fans "I thought we grinded out a win," said WMU coach Steve Hawkins, whose team outscored Cornell 50-16 in the paint and 27-4 at the free throw line. Tava, a 6-foot-5 power forward, recorded the first double-double of his career with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Whittington, a 6-11 center, also reached double digits in both categories with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Cornell (0-8) was 10-for-25 from 3-point range in the first half and with shooters spread out across the court there were rebounding opportunities, which the Big Red capitalized on with 11 offensive boards in the first half. The Big Red had one field goal from inside the 3-point line in the first half, which was a dunk off a missed 3-pointer. Western Michigan (5-2) countered with 24 points in the paint to Cornell's two outscored Cornell on the fastbreak 8-0. The Broncos led 34-32 at halftime. The Broncos gave up two offensive rebounds in the second half and out-rebounded Cornell 38-31 in the game. Hawkins said after the game his team's defensive effort will have to be better moving forward. "In a game like tonight, where Cornell is putting a lot of pressure on the perimeter, we had to throw out typical execution and if they’re going to give us large gaps like that to drive and deny everywhere we have to put our heads down and drive it, or throw it inside," he said. "That’s why there was a 50-16 disparity in the paint. We were able to get to the rim. That’s also why we outscored them 27-4 at the free throw line. "All in all, you have to tip your hat to Cornell. Quite honestly, I thought they played offense harder than we played defense in the first half. In the second half, it got a little better. We’re going to have to play harder defensively that we did in the first half tonight." Senior David Brown had 16 points for WMU and Austin Richie added 15. Cornell took a 37-36 lead less than two minutes into the second half, but Western Michigan re-gained the lead and did not lose it. Cornell pulled within 2 points several times in the second half, but the Big Red were unable to hit as many long balls in the second half (6-for-16) and were kept off the offensive glass. The Big Red were led by freshman Nolan Cressler's game-high 27 points. Robert Hatter added 22 points. BOX SCORE
Box Score Box Score (PDF) KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- The Cornell men's basketball team hit 16 3-pointers, but Western Michigan's dominance inside the paint was too much to overcome as the Broncos topped the Big Red 83-70 on Friday evening at University Arena. Western Michigan improved to 5-2, while Cornell slipped to 0-8. Sophomore Nolan Cressler had a career-high 27 points and freshman Robert Hatter had 22 points, four rebounds and three assists for Cornell while combining to hit 11 from beyond the arc. Hatter hit a career-best six and Cressler connected on five. As a team, the Big Red shot 16-of-41, setting a school record for attempts in a game and posting the third-most treys in a single contest. Senior Dwight Tarwater added nine points and six rebounds in the loss, Cornell's 14th consecutive dating back to last season. Western Michigan, a 23-win team a season ago, had four players in double figures led by Connar Tava with 16 points, 13 rebounds and four steals. Shayne Whittington chipped in 14 points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots, David Brown had 16 points and Austin Richie had 15. The Broncos held a decisive 50-16 edge in points in the paint and 20-8 on second chance points despite Cornell's 13-12 edge on the offensive glass. Cornell made 10 3-pointers in the first 20 minutes to stay in the game against the bigger Broncos, connecting on 10-of-25 (40 percent). Hatter connected on four and Cressler hit three, including a buzzer-beating shot at the half that got the visitors within 34-32 heading into the locker room. The Big Red was able to weather the Broncos' 62 percent shooting from the floor and 18-15 edge on the glass by forcing turnovers (10 at halftime) and getting on the offensive glass (11 of their 15 boards). Western Michigan built its leads, which grew to as many as seven, with a dominant 24-2 edge in the paint. That overshadowed a pretty good battle on Cornell's end on the glass, as Tarwater and Giddens crashed the boards hard, combining for eight offensive rebounds and a slew of second chances. Whittington led the Broncos with eight points and six rebounds, while leading scorer Brown, who entered the night averaging 22.5 points per night, was held to four in the first half. Cornell didn't cool down much in the second half, regaining the lead immediately on a Tarwater trey and then a minute later on a floater by Hatter on the baseline. The Broncos lead never got over six points as each team made mini-runs at each other before Brown hit a jumper, Richie made a steal and hit one of two free throws and Tava tipped in a miss to extend WMU's lead to 70-59 with 5:16 remaining. Even then, Cornell made a final run getting back to within five after Cressler hit a 3-pointer, then connected on a pair of free throws and Devin Cherry finished on the break to make it 73-68 with under two minutes to play. It was a free-throw shooting contest from there out, as the Broncos hit 8-of-10 shots from the charity stripe in the final 91 seconds. In all, the home team shot 38 free throws. The Big Red returns to action when it faces Notre Dame on Sunday, Dec. 1 at 1 p.m. in a game that will be broadcast on ESPN3. The Fighting Irish lead the all-time series 7-1.
KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Western Michigan men's basketball team capped a four-game homestand with another double-digit victory, as the Broncos defeated the Cornell Big Red 83-70 at University Arena on Friday. With the win, the Broncos improve to 5-2 overall on the season. A pair of Broncos added double-doubles against the Big Red, with Connar Tava notching the first of his career with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Shayne Whittington recorded his third double-double of the season, posting 14 points and 12 rebounds. David Brown tied for the team-high with 16 points, and Austin Richie posted a season-high 15 points, largely thanks to an 11-of-13 night from the free throw line. The Big Red lived and died by the three-pointer, going 16-of-41 from beyond the arc to account for 48 of their 70 points. The Broncos dominated down low, out-scoring Cornell 50-16 in the paint and 20-8 in second chance points, and capitalized on 15 turnovers from the Big Red to the tune of 25 points off turnovers. The Broncos were on fire from the field in the first half, shooting 13-of-21 from the floor for a healthy 61.9 percent field goal percentage. The Big Red took a 9-5 lead with 16:44 to play in the half, but the Broncos took the advantage when Tava spun in the paint and made a lay-up with 14:04 remaining to give WMU a 13-12 lead. Brown taked on to the lead with an old-fashioned three-point play with 12:32 left, and Jared Klein bumped the lead to seven points when he hauled in a defensive rebound and jetted down the court for a fast-break lay-up to make it 22-15. The seven-point edge was the largest of the half for the Broncos, with Klein setting that advantage again at the 5:51 mark with a pull-up three-pointer to make it 30-23. Cornell's Nolan Cressler cut into the Bronco lead as the clock was running out, hitting a three-pointer with two seconds remaining to cut the Broncos' lead to 34-32 at the half. Cornell took the lead to start the second with a three-pointer from Dwight Tarwater, and again at the 18:35 mark on a lay-up by Robert Hatter, but WMU took the lead for the rest of the game on a lay-up from Brown with 18:05 to play in regulation. Tucker Haymond exnapded the lead to six points with a fast break lay-up on a feed from Richie, but the Big Red recovered and generally kept the lead to two possessions for much of the second half. Brown helped to open things up, howver, scoring on a lay-up with 5:53 left to make it 67-59, and Tava tipped in a missed free throw from Richie at the 5:16 mark to put the Broncos ahead 70-59. From there, Cornell never seriously threatened for the rest of the game, and the Broncos iced the win by making 9-of-10 free throws in the last 1:30 to complete the 13-point win.
The Western Michigan University basketball team defeated the Bears of Cornell 83-70 Friday night at University Arena.
With the win the Broncos improve to 5-2 on the season, while Cornell drops to 0-8.
The Bronco front court control the paint as Shayne Wittington and Connar Tava each recorded a double-double combining for 30 points and 25 rebounds.
Guards Austin Riche and David Brown also had double-figure scoring, notching 16 and 15 points respectively.
The Broncos didn’t go unchallenged however, they had to fend off against the Bears attack fueled by sharpshooters Nolan Cressler and Robert Hatter. The two combined for 59 of Cornell’s 70 points, shooting 17-33 from the field including 11 from three.
The game was close only until late in the contest. Cressler nailed a three pointer that narrowed the Bronco lead to 57-54 with 10:28 remaining. From here the Broncos’ seized all control, and a Connar Tava steal and score gave WMU a 62-56 advantage with 8:19 remaining. Later, David Brown knocked down a jumper to extended the Bronco lead to 67-59 with 5:53 left in the game.
Cornell made one last push, with the score 73-64. Nolan Cressler was fouled at the three point line and would knocked down two of three free throws, followed by a layup from Devin Cherry to cut their deficit to 73-68.
Good free throwing shooting put the nail in the coffin, the Broncos made 10-11 free-throw down the stretch to settle at the score of 83-70.
The Broncos will travel to Evanston, Illinois to take on their first major non conference competition of the season in the Wildcats of Northwestern University, Saturday December 7th.
KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Western Michigan men's basketball team capped a four-game homestand with another double-digit victory, as the Broncos defeated the Cornell Big Red 83-70 at University Arena on Friday. With the win, the Broncos improve to 5-2 overall on the season. A pair of Broncos added double-doubles against the Big Red, with Connar Tava notching the first of his career with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Shayne Whittington recorded his third double-double of the season, posting 14 points and 12 rebounds. David Brown tied for the team-high with 16 points, and Austin Richie posted a season-high 15 points, largely thanks to an 11-of-13 night from the free throw line. The Big Red lived and died by the three-pointer, going 16-of-41 from beyond the arc to account for 48 of their 70 points. The Broncos dominated down low, out-scoring Cornell 50-16 in the paint and 20-8 in second chance points, and capitalized on 15 turnovers from the Big Red to the tune of 25 points off turnovers. The Broncos were on fire from the field in the first half, shooting 13-of-21 from the floor for a healthy 61.9 percent field goal percentage. The Big Red took a 9-5 lead with 16:44 to play in the half, but the Broncos took the advantage when Tava spun in the paint and made a lay-up with 14:04 remaining to give WMU a 13-12 lead. Brown taked on to the lead with an old-fashioned three-point play with 12:32 left, and Jared Klein bumped the lead to seven points when he hauled in a defensive rebound and jetted down the court for a fast-break lay-up to make it 22-15. The seven-point edge was the largest of the half for the Broncos, with Klein setting that advantage again at the 5:51 mark with a pull-up three-pointer to make it 30-23. Cornell's Nolan Cressler cut into the Bronco lead as the clock was running out, hitting a three-pointer with two seconds remaining to cut the Broncos' lead to 34-32 at the half. Cornell took the lead to start the second with a three-pointer from Dwight Tarwater, and again at the 18:35 mark on a lay-up by Robert Hatter, but WMU took the lead for the rest of the game on a lay-up from Brown with 18:05 to play in regulation. Tucker Haymond exnapded the lead to six points with a fast break lay-up on a feed from Richie, but the Big Red recovered and generally kept the lead to two possessions for much of the second half. Brown helped to open things up, howver, scoring on a lay-up with 5:53 left to make it 67-59, and Tava tipped in a missed free throw from Richie at the 5:16 mark to put the Broncos ahead 70-59. From there, Cornell never seriously threatened for the rest of the game, and the Broncos iced the win by making 9-of-10 free throws in the last 1:30 to complete the 13-point win.
The Western Michigan University basketball team defeated the Bears of Cornell 83-70 Friday night at University Arena.
With the win the Broncos improve to 5-2 on the season, while Cornell drops to 0-8.
The Bronco front court control the paint as Shayne Wittington and Connar Tava each recorded a double-double combining for 30 points and 25 rebounds.
Guards Austin Riche and David Brown also had double-figure scoring, notching 16 and 15 points respectively.
The Broncos didn’t go unchallenged however, they had to fend off against the Bears attack fueled by sharpshooters Nolan Cressler and Robert Hatter. The two combined for 59 of Cornell’s 70 points, shooting 17-33 from the field including 11 from three.
The game was close only until late in the contest. Cressler nailed a three pointer that narrowed the Bronco lead to 57-54 with 10:28 remaining. From here the Broncos’ seized all control, and a Connar Tava steal and score gave WMU a 62-56 advantage with 8:19 remaining. Later, David Brown knocked down a jumper to extended the Bronco lead to 67-59 with 5:53 left in the game.
Cornell made one last push, with the score 73-64. Nolan Cressler was fouled at the three point line and would knocked down two of three free throws, followed by a layup from Devin Cherry to cut their deficit to 73-68.
Good free throwing shooting put the nail in the coffin, the Broncos made 10-11 free-throw down the stretch to settle at the score of 83-70.
The Broncos will travel to Evanston, Illinois to take on their first major non conference competition of the season in the Wildcats of Northwestern University, Saturday December 7th.
KALAMAZOO -- Western Michigan University head coach Steve Hawkins was happy to be able to give his team a few days off after his Broncos avenged last year's opening game loss, topping Cornell of the IVY League 83-70 Friday night at University Arena.
"This last four game homestand has really helped us to establish our identity as a team," said Hawkins. "I think that going forward we have a pretty good idea of who we are and who we are not." Going forward will be a challenge as the Broncos hit the road for games against Northwestern of the Big 10 and Missouri of the South East Conference.
What the Broncos are, is a team that will win its share of games this year but every single one will be in doubt until the last few minutes. They will be a team that will pound you in the paint, as they did against Cornell, outscoring the Big Red 50-16. They will also be a team vulnerable to a hot shooting perimeter team, case in point, Cornell made 16 shot's from behind the arc compared to two for the Broncos.
This team will ultimately live or die by its free throw shooting down the stretch. Junior point guard Austin Ritchie was one of four Broncos in double figures with 14 points, 11 of those coming from the free throw line, eight of those in the final 4:36.
The Broncos will also be a team that requires some balance. There is no denying that this team relies heavily on the leadership and production of its "dynamic duo" of red shirt seniors David Brown, who entered the game as the MAC's leading scorer with 22.5 ppg and Shayne Whittington who came in averaging a double (17.3 ppg) double (11 rpg). The two combined for 30 points (16 and 14 respectively) against the Big Red.
Sophomore Conor Tava has emerged as a solid third scoring option. Tava, a rugged 6-6 who would look good in shoulder pads, posted a double double with 16 points and a game high 14 rebounds. "Conor is really our kind of player," said Hawkins. "He's a hard nosed kid who can really take it to the rim, knows how and is not afraid to draw contact and can pass the ball off the dribble"
It was Tava who bulled his way in for a lay up and one to give the Broncos its largest lead 71-61, with 4:29 left in the contest. The Broncos never looked back as Ritchie stepped to the line late in the contest and dropped in free throws including a couple of technicals after he was mugged on a fast break.
Cornell, who has lost to the likes of defending national champion Louisville and Syracuse in addition to Friday's defeat limps back to Ithaca, NY at 0-8.
"We will take a few days off, before getting back to work on Monday, further developing our bench," said Hawkins. "We won't worry about Northwestern and Missouri until later in the week."
