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The Cornell men’s basketball team got a welcoming ovation from the home crowd as the team gathered into a pump-up huddle prior to the start of its matchup against Yale Friday night. Cornell won the tip and scored on the first possession, which led to a strong start on both ends of the ball. The team pressed on defense, forcing the Bulldogs to turn the ball over in the opening minutes.
Despite coming out strong, the Red was left shorthanded against the Bulldogs. Four of the team’s major contributors all season in freshman guard Robert Hatter, senior guard Dom Scelfo, junior.
forward Deion Giddens and sophomore center Braxton Bunce, did not suit up for the game.
“We all have really different injuries, and I hope we can come back. I just hope I can get back before Senior Night,” Scelfo said, who was wearing a walking boot during the game.
Yale was quick to capitalize on the Red’s diminished bench as the game progressed. Sophomore forward Justin Sears, who leads the Bulldogs in scoring and is a strong contender for Player of the Year honors in the Ivy League, exploited the Red’s zone coverage, hitting seven of 12 shots from the field.
Yale sophomore Jack Montague, who filled in for the injured junior guard Javier Duren, shot the ball very efficiently off of the bench. The 6’0” guard had a career-night, scoring 18 points on five three-pointers, despite only owning a season average of 2.1 ppg.
At halftime, the Red trailed the Bulldogs 45-31.
Cornell came out of the locker room with renewed intensity. The team pressured on defense and made shots from the outside, including three-pointers by sophomore guard Nolan Cressler and junior guard Devin Cherry within the first four minutes of the half.
However, the Red relied heavily on outside shooting in the half, as it struggled to get the ball into the paint. When the final whistle blew, the Red had put up 30 three-point attempts, connecting on 10 of them.
Cornell struggled with the Bulldog’s ability to draw fouls as Yale consistently drove to the basket and grabbed offensive rebounds, resulting in 34 free throws for the Bulldogs.
Despite the Red’s 82-65 loss, Cherry had a career night with 29 points. He put together a well-rounded attack, also dishing out two assists and grabbing three rebounds, and was able to score with the long range shot, as well as in the paint.
Yale moved to 8-1 in the Ivy League with the win, putting them at the top of the Ancient Eight alongside Harvard. The Red fell to 1-8 in the Ivy League after the loss, but had to shift its focus to the following night’s contest against Brown.
Brown entered Newman Arena on Saturday led by senior guard Sean McGonagill, who leads the Ivy League in scoring. The evening’s matchup was broadcast nationally on NBC sports and the Red had plenty of support from its home crowd.
In the previous meeting between the two sides, the Red suffered a loss in Providence.
“We played them before and we know what they are comfortable with,” Scelfo said. “McGonagill is a great scorer and we respect that. We need[ed] to do the right things to stop him.”
The Red put on a show for the home fans as the team’s offensive pace and efficient shooting had the team ahead for the majority of the game. Towards the end of regulation, with the Red leading by two with just 35 seconds left, Brown tied the game on a clutch lay-up from sophomore forward Cedric Kuakumensah.
The Red got the ball back with 23 seconds on the clock, and Cherry held it for the final shot. He was able to shake his defender off at the top of the key with a step-back jumper, but it hit front iron and time expired, pushing the game into overtime.
The Bears took over after the end of regulation, going on a 5-0 run to start overtime. The Red fought back to within three after two free throws by Cressler, but a three-pointer by McGonagill — who had previously been quiet on offense — gave the Bears a lead from which the Red was unable to recover.
Cressler had another strong offensive performance, scoring a career-high 34 points, grabbing five rebounds in the process. Cherry was just three rebounds short of Cornell’s first ever triple-double. He scored 17 points, dished out 10 assists and grabbed 7 rebounds.
On the other end of the floor, the Red was able to shut down McGonagill. The star senior only made two shots from the field. However, Brown’s big men stepped up to fill that void. Kuakumensah had a career night in the paint, recording 30 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocks. Freshman Leland King also chipped in with 23 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists
Although the Brown game slipped away from Cornell, the team did show that it can match up against Ivy League contenders, according to Scelfo.
“[We] are really proud to be on this team, even though we haven’t had a great season. Everybody brings their all to each game and we always try to come out with a win,” he said.
With four games to go in the season, the Red returns to the road next weekend for a rematch with Harvard and Dartmouth.
ITHACA — Sophomore Nolan Cressler scored a career-high 34 points and junior Devin Cherry almost recorded the first triple-double in Cornell history, but Brown held off the Big Red for an 81-75 overtime victory on Saturday night at Newman Arena in a game nationally broadcast on NBCSN.
The Big Red dropped to 2-22 overall and 1-9 in the Ivy League. The Bears improved to 14-10, 6-4.
Cressler shot 6-for-9 from 3-point range and made 10 of 14 free throws en route to his big night. Cherry had 17 points, a career-high 10 assists and seven rebounds while committing one turnover in 45 minutes. The Red shot 39 percent from the floor, but hit nine 3-pointers and held a 42-39 edge on the backboard against one of the Ivies’ top rebounding teams.
Dave LaMore scored a career-best eight points off the bench for the Big Red, and freshman David Onuorah had four points and eight rebounds. Senior Dwight Tarwater chipped in three points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots.
Cedric Kuakumensah led Brown with 30 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocks, and hit a driving lay-up with 23 seconds to play in regulation to force overtimme. Leland King added 23 points, 12 rebounds and four assists.
Sean McGonagill had nine points, but the Big Red defense held the Ivy League’s leading scorer to 2-of-12 shooting, though the senior did bury one of the game’s biggest shots, a stepback 3-pointer to put Brown up six with 50 seconds to play.
Cornell travels to Harvard and Dartmouth next weekend, the wraps up the season at home on March 7-8 against Princeton and Pennsylvania.
Box Score I Box Score (PDF)
ITHACA, N.Y. -- Sophomore Nolan Cressler scored a career-high 34 points and junior Devin Cherry just missed the first triple-double in school history, but Brown was able to hold off the Big Red for an 81-75 overtime victory on Saturday evening at Newman Arena. The Big Red dropped to 2-22 (1-9 Ivy), while the Bears improved to 14-10 (6-4 Ivy).
Cressler buried 6-of-9 3-pointers and 10-of-14 from the free-throw line, while Cherry notched 17 points, a career-high 10 assists, seven rebounds and just one turnover while playing all 45 minutes. The Big Red shot just 39 percent from the floor overall, but hit nine 3-pointers and held a 42-39 edge on the backboards against one of the Ivy's top rebounding teams.
Dave LaMore scored a career-best eight points for the Big Red off the bench and David Onuorah had four points and eight rebounds. Dwight Tarwater chipped in three points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots and Darryl Smith had six points and five rebounds.
Brown got 30 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocks from Cedric Kuakumensah and 23 points, 12 rebounds and four assists from Leland King. Sean McGonagill had nine points, but the Big Red defense held the Ivy League's leading scorer to 2-of-12 shooting, though the senior did bury one of the game's biggest shots, a stepback 3-pointer to put Brown up six with 50 seconds to play.
It was a thriler from the tip with neither team leading by more than seven points in regulation. Most of the way the two teams were spearated by two possessions or less in a contest that featured eight ties and 16 lead changes. It made for high drama, particularly in the final minutes.
Brown led by four points with 2:31 remaining before Cherry hit Cressler for a 3-pointer and then took it himself in transition for a conventional three-point play to flip the script and give Cornell a two-point lead just over a minute later. Kuakumensah answered with a short jumper in the lane to tie it, but Cressler went to the line twice sandwiched around a key offensive rebound by Darryl Smith after a missed free throw. The sophomore put the Big Red up 67-65 with 35 ticks left. Just 12 seconds later, Kuakumensah again tied it up when Tavon Blackmon found him for a layup to knot it at 67-67. The Big Red got a last opportunity, with Cherry missing a jumper from the top of the key as time ran out and the teams went back to the bench for overtime.
The Bears scored the first five points of overtime and Cornell couldn't get all the way back despite all efforts. Cressler hit a pair of free throws to cut a Bears lead to three for the second time, but McMonagill hit his second trey of the night and only the second for Brown in 45 minutes of action to effectively seal the visitors win.
The first half saw the Big Red take its second halftime lead over Brown this season due to the heroics of Cressler, who had 17 points. Kuakumensah effectively kept the Bears within striking distance with a dominant 16-point, 10-rebound, four-block effort in 18 minutes of court time, while King had 15 points and five rebounds, The rest of Brown's lineup, including McGonagill, had three points on 1-of-13 shooting. The home team led by as many as seven points with 99 seconds left in the first half, but the visitors scored five points before the final buzzer, with King hitting a layup and Kuakumensah finishing off a three-point play as Cornell went into the break leading 36-34.
Cornell will play its final road contests of the season next weekend when it visits Harvard and Dartmouth on Friday, Feb. 28 and Saturday, March 1, respectively.
ITHACA, N.Y. -- Sophomore Nolan Cressler scored a career-high 34 points and junior Devin Cherry just missed the first triple-double in school history, but Brown was able to hold off the Big Red for an 81-75 overtime victory on Saturday evening at Newman Arena. The Big Red dropped to 2-22 (1-9 Ivy), while the Bears improved to 14-10 (6-4 Ivy).
Cressler buried 6-of-9 3-pointers and 10-of-14 from the free-throw line, while Cherry notched 17 points, a career-high 10 assists, seven rebounds and just one turnover while playing all 45 minutes. The Big Red shot just 39 percent from the floor overall, but hit nine 3-pointers and held a 42-39 edge on the backboards against one of the Ivy's top rebounding teams.
Dave LaMore scored a career-best eight points for the Big Red off the bench and David Onuorah had four points and eight rebounds. Dwight Tarwater chipped in three points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots and Darryl Smith had six points and five rebounds.
Brown got 30 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocks from Cedric Kuakumensah and 23 points, 12 rebounds and four assists from Leland King. Sean McGonagill had nine points, but the Big Red defense held the Ivy League's leading scorer to 2-of-12 shooting, though the senior did bury one of the game's biggest shots, a stepback 3-pointer to put Brown up six with 50 seconds to play.
It was a thriler from the tip with neither team leading by more than seven points in regulation. Most of the way the two teams were spearated by two possessions or less in a contest that featured eight ties and 16 lead changes. It made for high drama, particularly in the final minutes.
Brown led by four points with 2:31 remaining before Cherry hit Cressler for a 3-pointer and then took it himself in transition for a conventional three-point play to flip the script and give Cornell a two-point lead just over a minute later. Kuakumensah answered with a short jumper in the lane to tie it, but Cressler went to the line twice sandwiched around a key offensive rebound by Darryl Smith after a missed free throw. The sophomore put the Big Red up 67-65 with 35 ticks left. Just 12 seconds later, Kuakumensah again tied it up when Tavon Blackmon found him for a layup to knot it at 67-67. The Big Red got a last opportunity, with Cherry missing a jumper from the top of the key as time ran out and the teams went back to the bench for overtime.
The Bears scored the first five points of overtime and Cornell couldn't get all the way back despite all efforts. Cressler hit a pair of free throws to cut a Bears lead to three for the second time, but McMonagill hit his second trey of the night and only the second for Brown in 45 minutes of action to effectively seal the visitors win.
The first half saw the Big Red take its second halftime lead over Brown this season due to the heroics of Cressler, who had 17 points. Kuakumensah effectively kept the Bears within striking distance with a dominant 16-point, 10-rebound, four-block effort in 18 minutes of court time, while King had 15 points and five rebounds, The rest of Brown's lineup, including McGonagill, had three points on 1-of-13 shooting. The home team led by as many as seven points with 99 seconds left in the first half, but the visitors scored five points before the final buzzer, with King hitting a layup and Kuakumensah finishing off a three-point play as Cornell went into the break leading 36-34.
Cornell will play its final road contests of the season next weekend when it visits Harvard and Dartmouth on Friday, Feb. 28 and Saturday, March 1, respectively.
Ithaca, New York - Sophomore Cedric Kuakumensah scored a career high 30 points and freshman forward Leland King added a career high 23 points to lead Brown to an 81-75 overtime win over Cornell in an Ivy League game at Newman Arena.
Brown improves to 14-10, 6-4 in the Ivy League, while Cornell falls to 2-22, 1-9 in league play. The Bears are in sole possession of third place in the Ivy standings.
Cornell held a 67-65 lead late in regulation when Kuakumensah scored on a lay-up with 23 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime, 67-67.
The overtime period remained scoreless until Brown freshman Tavon Blackmon connected on the second of two free throws with 3:07 left to play, giving Brown the lead for good, 68-67. Freshman Steven Spieth's lay-up off an inbounds pass gave the Bears a 70-67 lead, and Blackmon hit two free throws with 1:48 remaining to extend the Bears' lead to 72-67.
Brown led, 74-71, after Nolan Cressler hit four free throws for Cornell and Spieth scored on a fast break lay-up. Senior Sean McGonagill, who struggled shooting the ball all day, gave Brown control of the game with 50 seconds remaining, 77-71, with a long trey.
Kuakumensah scored his 30 points on 12-of-19 shooting from the field and completed the double-double with a game high 14 rebounds. He had a school record seven blocked shots against the Big Red and set a new single season Brown record with 70 blocked shots, breaking his own mark of 66 blocks set last year.
King also posted a double-double for the Bears, adding 12 rebounds to go with his 23 points. Spieth and McGonagill finished with nine points each for the Bears.
Cressler led all scorers with 34 points for the Big Red on 6-of-9 shooting from the field, 6-of-9 from beyond the three point arc and 10-0f 14 shooting from the free throw line. Devin Cherry chipped in with 17 points and 10 assists.
The Bears were sluggish defensively in the opening 20 minutes and trailed by as many as six points, 33-27, on a trey by Darryl Smith with 3:20 left. A late Brown run kept the score close at the half, trailing 36-34 at intermission. Kuakumensah and King combined for 31 of Brown's 34 first half points.
Brown continues its four-game road trip, traveling to Philadelphia, PA on Friday, February 28 to battle Penn at the Palestra in a game nationally televised by NBC Sports (7:30 pm), and then on Princeton, New Jersey to face Princeton on Saturday, March 1 at 6:00 pm.
| Final | 1 | 2 | OT | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown (13-10, 5-4 Ivy) | 34 | 33 | 14 | 81 |
| Cornell (2-21, 1-8 Ivy) | 36 | 31 | 8 | 75 |
| Ithaca, N.Y. (Newman Arena) | ||||
| Brown | Cornell |
|---|---|
| Pts: Cedric Kuakumensah - 30 | Pts: Cressler, Nolan - 34 |
| Reb: Cedric Kuakumensah - 14 | Reb: Onuorah, David - 8 |
| Ast: Leland King - 4 | Ast: Cherry, Devin - 10 |
| Team Statistics | Brown | Cornell |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goal % | 45.0% (27-60 ) | 38.5% (25-65 ) |
| Rebounds | 39 | 42 |
| Assists | 11 | 14 |
| Turnovers | 7 | 12 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 16 | 7 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 20 | 8 |
| Pts in the Paint | 44 | 24 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 8 | 4 |
| Bench Pts | 3 | 11 |
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