Cornell men’s basketball put on a show this past weekend by defeating two Ivy League rivals with strong double-digit wins at Newman Arena.
On Friday night, the Red defeated Penn (8-18, 4-9 Ivy) in a definitive 90-62 victory, bringing them one step closer to punching a ticket to the annual Ivy Madness tournament.
In the first half alone, Cornell scored 63 points, surpassing Penn's total for the entire night.
The Red dominantly established the game's rhythm, led by junior guard Cooper Noard, who scored the most points with 19. Penn committed 19 turnovers, while the Red had only six. The Red also successfully forced 10 turnovers through steals and converted nearly 50 percent of its shot attempts into points.
“It only helps that we were making shots and sharing the ball extremely well on offense, but our strong defense lately has helped us win,” Noard said.
The team’s 17 three-pointers emphasized its preference for long-range shooting. In addition to Noard, two teammates scored in double figures: sophomore guard Jake Fiegen with 16 points and senior guard Nazir Williams, who achieved 100 percent accuracy (3-3) from the three-point line.
With leads reaching as high as 43 points, it was hard to envision the game not ending in Cornell’s favor. So, with about 13 minutes remaining, Coach Jon Jaques ’10 decided to permanently bench his starters while leading 81-38, allowing the reserves to finish the game. They accomplished this successfully, marking the most significant winning margin in the 121-year history between the two universities.
“We've always been capable of performing at this high level,” Noard said. “After we lost to Harvard and Dartmouth on the road in a back-to-back weekend, we felt that our effort and competitiveness weren't up to our standard as a program, and to make a push for the Ivy tournament, we needed to improve and fix that.”
The Sunday afternoon game followed a similar narrative, drawing national attention as it aired on ESPNU. Princeton (18-10, 7-6 Ivy) was considered the pre-season favorite for the Ivy title but has fallen short of that mark this season. This year, the Tigers' roster includes Xaivian Lee, a nationally celebrated player noted for his status as a top draft prospect from the Ivy League. Initially declaring for the NBA draft last year, he decided to withdraw and play one more collegiate season. Reigning Ivy League Player of the Year Caden Pierce also plays for Princeton.
The Red surged ahead with an explosive beginning, netting the game's first 10 points. Noard repeated his 19-point performance, and he was accompanied in the double-digit scoring by senior forward Guy Ragland Jr. (17 points), Fiegen (16 points) and junior forward AK Okereke (13 points). Williams shone brightly, achieving a double-double with 14 points and 12 assists.
“[Williams has] been huge for us all year, and in my opinion, his performance against Princeton solidified himself as a firm-team All-Ivy player,” Noard said. “As a team, we believe he's the best player in the league.”
Restricting Princeton to 42 percent shooting in the paint and 26 percent from beyond the arc exemplified the team’s defensive intensity. This was crucial for Cornell’s offense, which shot over 60 percent across the floor.
With roughly 12 minutes remaining in the second half, the Red ignited Newman Nation with a string of electrifying three-pointers, starting with sophomore guard Jacob Beccles. Shortly after, Ragland Jr. sank one, followed by Fiegen, who was fouled by Lee but turned it into a 4-point play. Okereke contributed another three-pointer before Fiegen struck again.
Leading by 33 points, the starters were replaced, allowing the reserves to jump right in. A dunk from senior forward Chris Cain and a three-pointer by junior guard Corbin Zentner secured the victory, with the Red triumphing 102-70.
Marking the team’s 16th win of the season, Coach Jaques earned the title of the most successful first-year head coach in program history. Additionally, the team officially secured its place in the Ivy Madness tournament to be held in Providence, RI, starting on March 15. The team will face Dartmouth in the semifinal round. This season, Cornell holds a 1-1 record against the Big Green.
When asked about the mindset in the locker room heading into the postseason, Noard said, “If we play our brand of basketball with intensity, effort and competitiveness, we can beat anyone in the country. We want to win Ivy Madness.”
Before that, however, the team will aim to close out its regular season and honor its seniors against Columbia, which currently ranks last in the conference standings.
“[The seniors] deserve to be celebrated with how much hard work, leadership and effort all of those guys have shown throughout their careers, and I speak for the team when I say we're extremely grateful for them,” Noard said.
The game is set for 2 p.m. on March 8 in Newman Arena and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
