The men’s basketball team struggled to find its rhythm offensively on Sunday afternoon, resulting in a 76-65 road loss to Illinois State (1-1, 0-0 Missouri Valley).
The Red (0–2, 0-0 Ivy) couldn’t rediscover the same magic from beyond the arc, hitting just 6-of-31 three-pointers after a red-hot season opener that featured 19 made triples against Kent State. Despite the offensive woes, the Red kept the game close with defensive energy and stretches of composed play against one of the top mid-major programs in the country.
Senior guard Cooper Noard exhibited flashes of brilliance once again, finishing as the team’s leading scorer with 19 points and tying for the team lead with five rebounds. Coming off a 34-point performance in Saturday’s 110-102 loss at Kent State, Noard is now averaging 26.5 points per game.
Senior guard Adam Hinton, who came off a strong 29-point showing, added 12 points and three assists, while junior forward Kaspar Sepp contributed 10 points, five rebounds and also three assists. Senior guard Josh Baldwin put up seven points, and junior guard DaMaryon Fishburn provided a defensive spark, snatching three steals.
Early on, the Red came out firing, jumping to an early double-digit lead behind three quick 3-pointers. However, Illinois State quickly responded with a 17–2 run to take a narrow 34–32 lead into halftime.
The second half was all the Redbirds as their size and physicality began to show. Their grueling defense limited Cornell to just two baskets over a six-minute period, allowing their offense to gradually extend their lead.
Head coach Jon Jaques ’10, now in his second season at the helm, viewed the matchup against a veteran Illinois State team as a valuable learning experience for his team.
“Illinois State, they're such a veteran, disciplined team so it challenged our guys,” Jaques said. “We have a lot of returners who have done new roles this year and so it was good for those guys to be challenged and … to be put in situations that (they have) never been before. I think we grew from Illinois State. They’re (going to) win a lot of games.”
Even with the early-season setbacks, Jaques stated that the team’s identity remains clear.
“Our identity is playing fast, playing with pace, being unselfish, and I think we did that. It’s been a hallmark of how we play during our successful run here,” the former assistant coach said. “We made the right decisions most of the time and we just missed a lot of shots which happens, basketball is a make or miss game.”
Noard, who came off the aforementioned 34-point performance in the opener at Kent State, has quickly established himself as the team’s go-to scorer and leader. Over the past three seasons, Cooper has been a steady presence for the Red and someone who’s thrived in tough environments and taken on significant responsibility.
This year, however, brings a different kind of challenge for the veteran guard. With key departures from last season, he now finds himself in a new role this season, stepping further into the spotlight as the player Cornell can rely on in critical moments. When this team needs a bucket with only a few seconds left, chances are, the ball will be in his hands.
Beyond his past experience and new role within the squad, Jaques emphasized several key features of his senior guard’s game and his essential impact on the court. He said Noard not only relies on his scoring prowess but is an all-around playmaker.
“What makes Cooper so good is he doesn't need the ball in his hands to be effective,” said Jaques. “He's a really good cutter. He moves so well without the ball and I think when he plays like that, it sets the tone for the rest of the team. We want to cut and move and share (the ball) and Cooper does that as well as anyone in the country.”
Despite the slow start to the season, Jaques expressed confidence that his team will continue to evolve as new roles solidify.
“We always (want to) be the best version of ourselves,” Jaques said. “That’s the message. This is a process, especially with this team. As I said, we lost a lot of good players and we have a lot of good players here but it's just figuring out the roles and what everyone needs to do to be successful here.”
Jaques said he saw encouraging signs from several players who stepped up during the opening road trip.
“It was cool to see a few guys step up and do really well this weekend, and I’m just excited for that to continue — for guys to evolve and find themselves and just keep growing.”
The Red will look to pick up its first win of the season when it travels to Lafayette on Thursday, to wrap up its three-game road trip. The Red have won four straight and eight of the last nine matchups against the Leopards, including an 81–71 home victory last season.
The game will be available live on ESPN+.
Austin Curtis is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences. He is a Sun Staff Writer and can be reached at acurtis@cornellsun.com.
