The Cornell men’s basketball team will look to avoid an 0-2 Ivy
League start Saturday evening when it visits Levien Gym to take on
Columbia in the teams’ second meeting in a week.
The
game will tip off at 7 p.m., following the Big Red vs. Lions women’s
game at 4:30. The 2,700-seat Levien Gym is sold out for Columbia’s “Pack
the House” event.
Coach
Bill Courtney’s Big Red men (8-10, 0-1) will look to turn the tables on
the Lions (9-6, 1-0), who came to Ithaca last weekend and went home
with a 67-58 victory. A 13-0 run midway through the second half keyed
the win for Columbia, which shot 11-for-18 after halftime and rode a
game-high 18 points from 6-foot-9 senior center Mark Cisco. Senior point
guard Brian Barbour added 16 points.
Cisco,
who also grabbed nine rebounds, was named Ivy Co-Player of the Week for
his effort against the Big Red. He was also honored by the league after
getting 18 points and 20 rebounds in a 61-56 victory against Cornell on
Jan. 21, 2012, in New York.
Cornell
will be seeking its fourth consecutive road victory, a feat it has not
accomplished since 2009-10’s NCAA Sweet Sixteen team. The Red was 5-24
away from Newman Arena in Courtney’s first two seasons.
The
Big Red’s offense is led by 6-7 sophomore forward Shonn Miller (10.4
points, 7.2 rebounds per game). Five other Cornell players average more
than seven points, including senior guard Johnathan Gray (9.7) and
senior forward Errick Peck (8.0) and freshman reserve guard Nolan
Cressler (8.0).
Columbia
is led by Barbour (13.4) and freshman backcourt mate Grant Mullins
(11.5). Sophomore guard Steve Frankoski (10.3), who missed last season
due to injury, has scored in double-figures in each of the past six
games.
Columbia
leads the series with Cornell, 122-97, in one of the most played
rivalries in college basketball. The Lions have won four of the past
five meetings, and will look to sweep the season series for the second
time in three seasons.
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