Below, game recaps from Cornell's Ivy League Championship clinching win over Penn. The Big Red have won three consecutive Ivy League titles. (Photos, Ithaca Journal)
(Photo, Cornell Athletics)Box Score
Senior Day Ceremony Video
Senior forward Ryan Wittman lead Cornell with 18 points, 15 coming in the second half when Cornell opened up a 13-point halftime lead and never allowed the Quakers to get closer than 11 points. He added a career-best six steals and had four assists in the win. Classmate Louis Dale added 16 points and five assists, while senior Jeff Foote grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds and scored four points with three blocked shots in the paint.
The Big Red shot 56 percent from the floor and connected on 10-of-23 shots from beyond the 3-point arc while limiting Penn to 40 percent shooting, including a 5-of-17 effort from deep. With the 10 3-pointers, the Big Red broke the single-season record for treys in a season with 272, besting the 266 by the 2001-02 Penn team. Cornell outrebounded the Quakers 29-23, including 17-10 in the second half. The Big Red forced 21 turnovers and had 13 steals and five more blocked shots in the win.
Cornell improved its win total to 25, matching the 2001-02 Quaker team (25-7) for the most wins by an Ivy League team this century and became the ninth Ivy squad to reach 25 wins since the official formation of the league.
Senior Andre Wilkins, who had four points and two steals in four minutes, set the tone early in his first career start in a Big Red uniform. He had steals on each of Penn's first two possessions and hit a pair of buckets in the first 3:12 as the home team built a 7-0 edge. The Quakers fought back to make it 7-5, but that was as close as it would get. Dale had 13 points in the first 7:49 as Cirbekk built a seven-point edge. When Wittman hit a jumper with 4:27 remaining in the half, the lead hit double figures and it wouldn't get any closer than 11 the rest of the way.
Leading 34-23 less than one minute into the second half, Cornell went on a 9-0 run to take a 20-point lead at 43-23 following a Wittman lay-up with 15:55 to play. Cornell’s lead fluctuated between 15 to 22 points the rest of the way.
Penn was lead by Zack Rosen who shot 7-for-10 from the field en route to a game-high 23 points. The Ivy League’s leading scorer was the only Quaker to hit double figures in the contest. Mike Howlett notched nine points and grabbed five rebounds, while Rob Belcore assisted on five baskets to go along with three points and two rebounds.
Other Cornell seniors also played a key role. Geoff Reeves had two assists, two rebounds and a steal without a turnover in 19 solid minutes, providing his typical outstanding defense. Alex Tyler, who ranks in the top 10 all-time at Cornell in blocked shots added another to his total, while Jon Jaques chipped in with nine points and three steals.
Cornell returns to action on Friday, March 5 when it plays at Brown at 7 p.m. A win would put Cornell into the NCAA tournament for the third time by guaranteeing an outright Ancient Eight crown.
By Brian Delaney
Ithaca Journal
ITHACA -- With 92 seconds left, a share of the Ivy League title well in hand, Louis Dale penetrated on the right side and kicked a pass back to Ryan Wittman at the top of the key. One last time at Newman Arena, Wittman buried it.
With Dale and Wittman at the forefront, Cornell's eight seniors left its fingerprints all over the 68-48 blowout of Penn, as a sellout crowd of 4,473 thundered its collective thanks to the program's all-time winningest class.
Cornell (25-4, 11-1) can clinch its third consecutive title outright, and an automatic berth to the NCAA tournament, by winning one of its two remaining games. Cornell finishes at Brown on Friday and Yale on Saturday.
"We came out with the energy and passion and determination that I thought we would," Cornell coach Steve Donahue said. "I know it had a lot to do with (senior) night, but I thought it had a lot to do with what happened in Philadelphia (two) weeks ago.
On Feb. 12, Penn stunned then-No. 22 Cornell at the Palestra, 79-64. It was clear early on Saturday that no such repeat was in store.
Penn's best player, sophomore point guard Zack Rosen, was burdened with foul trouble. He picked up his third foul on a charge call with 11:56 left in the first half.
He sat out the next eight minutes, during which Cornell outscored the Quakers 14-5 to take a 29-15 lead. Penn turned it over six times in that stretch, and 21 times overall.
Rosen finished with 23 points, the bulk of which came after Cornell opened a comfortable lead.
"The game kind of got away from us a little bit when he went out of the game," Penn coach Jerome Allen said. "Obviously, he's our best overall player."
Dale scored 13 points in the first half and finished with 16. Wittman, the Ivy League's all-time leader in 3-point field goals, took over after halftime, scoring 15 of his 18 points on a variety of shots. He hit a long 3, then a pull-up jumper, to give Cornell a 53-31 lead with 12:37 remaining.
Penn never seriously threatened.
The Quakers (5-20, 4-7) patiently watched from their bench as Cornell's seniors were honored in an emotional, lengthy pre-game ceremony. In the group's four years, Cornell won 26 of 28 league games at home and 45 of 54 Ivy contests overall.
WVBR.com
The Cornell Big Red clinched a share of the Ivy League title Saturday with a 68-48 win over the Penn Quakers on Senior Night at Newman Arena.
The game marked the last home contest for Cornell's eight seniors. The Class of 2010 is the most accomplished, having now won a share of three Ivy League title, more than any other Cornell class. Each senior was honored before the game with flowers, a framed picture, and standing ovation from the sellout crowd.
Fittingly, senior forward Ryan Wittman and senior guard Louis Dale led the Red with 18 and 16 points, respectively. Wittman added 6 steals and senior center Jeff Foote paced the Red with 11 rebounds and 3 blocks.
After giving up 79 points in a loss to the Quakers two weeks ago, Cornell limited Penn to 48 points on just 40% shooting. Cornell forced 21 turnovers, including 13 steals. Cornell set the tone defensively early. Cornell head coach Steve Donahue started senior forward Andre Wilkins for Senior Night, and Wilkins responded with steals on each of Penn's first two possessions.
“I thought this was a solid defensive effort, obviously it helps that [Penn star Zach] Rosen was in foul trouble,” Cornell head coach Steve Donahue said afterward. “We rotated well…caused some turnovers.”
For Penn, sophomore guard Zach Rosen led the way with 23 points on 7-10 shooting, but he spent much of the night in foul trouble.
Wittman noted afterward about the night's festivities, “you kinda enjoy it before the game.” “Once you kinda get in the flow of the game,” you don't think about it.
Donahue noted that “Penn having beaten us…enabled us to keep our emotions in check.” He thought that was the key to the game. He added that about the seniors, “without question, this class has done more for this program” than any other class in Cornell history.
The Red never trailed, thanks in part to three treys from Dale in the game's first seven minutes. They led 34-21 at the half and led by 23 a little more than halfway through the second half.
Cornell faces Brown and Yale next weekend. With a win in either of those contests, Cornell will clinch the Ivy League outright and a bid in the NCAA Tournament. When asked after the game about how far Cornell could go in the NCAA's Donahue responded, “We gotta go play next weekend. I'll answer that question then.”
You can hear Cornell's next game, at Brown, next Friday on WVBR 93.5-FM or online at wvbr.com.
But just in case that wasn't enough, Big Red coach Steve Donahue only had to remind his players that the Quakers had dealt them their only conference loss of the season thus far, three weeks ago at the Palestra.
With seniors Ryan Wittman and Louis Dale leading the way, Cornell hit a barrage of threes coming out of the gate and rolled to a 68-48 win on senior night at sold-out Newman Arena.
"We were kind of playing with a chip on our shoulder," said Wittman, who led his team with 18 points. Penn's Zack Rosen led all scorers with 23 points.
The Big Red started the game on a 7-0 run and held a 34-21 lead at halftime.
Penn (5-20, 4-7 Ivy League) created its own problems, committing 21 turnovers and shooting 39.5 percent from the field. And Rosen was called for his third foul with 11 minutes, 36 seconds left in the first half.
Cornell's offense was relentless shooting 56 percent from the field for the game.
After the game, Donahue said his senior class "may have turned around this program more than any other in the Ivy League's history."
"You go through so many hard times that I'd probably be lying if I said yeah, I saw this coming," the Delaware County native and former Penn assistant said. "They've exceeded my expectations, this group, for sure."
Despite the beating his team took, Penn coach Jerome Allen praised Donahue afterward for having brought Cornell (25-4, 11-1) to prominence.
"I'm happy for all that he's accomplished and I wish him nothing but the best of luck," said Allen, who played at Penn when Donahue was an assistant coach. "He was so instrumental in the things we were able to implement. I'm appreciative of the fact that I was able to play under him."
Cornell knocks off Penn 68-48 Saturday night in men's college basketball
The Examiner
Sometimes when you beat somebody in men's college basketball they do not forget. The Big Red of Cornell did not forget what Penn did to them on Feb. 12 when the Quakers upset them 79-64 at the Palestra. This time it was Cornell winning the Ivy League contest 68-48 at Cornell Saturday night.
Cornell improved to 25-4 overall and 11-1 in Ivy League play while Penn slipped to 5-20 and 4-7.
It was Cornell's fifth straight win after the earlier loss to Penn on Feb. 12.
Penn trailed the entire game and were down 34-21 at halftime. Cornell's biggest lead came after a Louis Dale free throw put them up 56-33 with 9:49 remaining in the game.
Zack Rosen led Penn with 23 points. He was the only Penn player in double figures in scoring Saturday night.
Cornell will get an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament if it wins the Ivy League regular season title as the Ivy League does not have a postseason tournament. It maintains a two-game lead in the Ivy League standings over Harvard.
Penn next plays Mar. 5 when it hosts Harvard.
Cornell Clinches Share Of Ivy Crown; Within One Win of Tournament Berth
Bleacher Report
Well, at least the rest of the Ivy League can have some consolation, the celebration won't take place on Cornell's home court.
On senior night at Newman Arena, the Big Red clinched just a share of the Ivy League crown, they would have needed a Columbia win over Princeton and a Yale win over Harvard in order to win outright.
Cornell needs just one more win, either at Brown on Friday, or Yale on Saturday in order to clinch.
Although this may seem easy, both of those teams are very quality opponents, and Cornell has shown they are not invincible on road games. A Cornell loss in both games, coupled with Princeton winning its final three games at home, and a pair of wins for Harvard on the road would mean a three way tie for the Ivy crown, and a two game playoff.
Last night Cornell took on Penn, the only Ivy team to have a win against the Big Red. Last night was a different story as Cornell to an easy 68-48 victory on their home finale.
Penn's Zack Rosen led all scores with 23. Ryan Wittman had 18 for Cornell in his last game at Newman Arena.
The win came a day after Cornell defeated Princeton 50-47. That win put them two games up in the Ancient Eight, rather than in a first place tie.
Elsewhere in the Ivy League, Princeton defeated Columbia to stay in the Ivy race by a hair. Princeton led most of the way, but had to stave off a furious last minute comeback attempt by the Lions.
Brown beat Dartmouth by 19 to stay hot, and Harvard fought to stay in the NCAA race with a 20 point blowout of Yale.
ITHACA, N.Y. - It was a perfect storm that the Penn men's basketball team walked into on Saturday night at Cornell's Newman Arena. It was enough that the Big Red was looking to clinch its third straight Ivy League title. But add in the fact that it was Senior Night, and the building was crackling.
On the court, the Quakers were facing a Cornell team looking to avenge its only Ivy loss this season, a 79-64 Penn win two weeks ago in Philadelphia.
The ingredients of all those factors made Saturday night's game predictable. Cornell started fast, and while Penn tried to challenge the night was more coronation than anything as the Big Red rolled, 68-48. Cornell improved to 25-4 overall, and is 11-1 in the Ivy League. The Big Red can clinch its NCAA bid next weekend with a win against eithre Brown or Yale, or a Princeton or Harvard loss in the final weekend.
Penn is now 5-20, 4-7 in Ivy play.
From a Cornell perspective, the night was all you could ask for. Senior guard Louis Dale, who did not have a field goal Friday vs. Princeton, knocked down a three-pointer to get things started. Little-used senior Andre Wilkins, a clear fan favorite, got two buckets after that, and the crowd was off and running. In the second half, Ryan Wittman reminded everyone of his explosiveness, scoring every which was for 15 of his team-high 18 points.
On the other side, Penn was behind the 8-ball to start and found the sledding even tougher when Zack Rosen got into foul trouble. He played just 11 minutes in the first half and Cornell took advantage to go up, 43-21, by the break.
Mike Howlett hit a jumper to start the second half, but Jon Jaques got a pair of layups and then Wittman knocked down a trey and got in the lane for another J. The score was 43-23, and the celebration was on.
Rosen did his part to keep Penn from getting completely blown away, scoring 16 of the Quakers' 27 second-half points, but the closer the visitors would get was 15 points with 3:31 to play. Penn then had a chance to draw within 12 points, but Drew Godwin missed a three-point attempt.
Rosen finished the night with 23 points, going 7-of-10 from the field and knocking down four of his six trey attempts. Howlett had nine points and five rebounds. For Cornell, Dale (16 points) and Chris Wroblewski (13) aided Wittman in the scoring chart, while Jeff Foote had 11 rebounds.
Penn will be at home next weekend, hosting Harvard Friday night and Dartmouth Saturday night. Tip time for both games will be 7 p.m.
6 comments:
How did we clinch? If we get swept next weekend and Harvard or Princeton wins both (since they play each other, only one can), then it's a playoff.
how have we clinched anything other than the opportunity to participate in a playoff?
Way to go fellas. This class has been legendary.
it was a victory,yes,but a sloppy one for sure. cu will need to tighten up shot selection friday at brown and continue the suffocating defense(lets put coury and foote together on mullery)in order to waltx off to the big dance. and lets win both games convincingly so we can see a 9-12 range seed on selection sunday. lets go red!
The ivy league title is a seperate competition from the Ivy league tournament berth. We have clinched our third straight ivy league title. We have NOT yet clinched the tournament berth, or the outright (non-shared) Ivy tite.
Make sense? The ivy title can be shared.
Mr. Blum or his fact checkers at the Bleacher Report need to be more vigilant in their research.
Since Princeton and Harvard play each other next week, obviously the potential only exists for one of those teams to win out. A three-team tie is thus an impossibility.
Here's to winning at Brown on Friday, making all of this tie talk moot anyway.
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