Men’s basketball entered Saturday clinging to the edge of the Ivy League’s top four. About two hours later, the Red pushed itself right back into the race with a convincing 88-67 road win over Columbia at Levien Gymnasium.
Coming off a disappointing home loss to Penn, Cornell (11-10, 4-4 Ivy) earned a much-needed result that moved it into a tie for third place in the conference standings, while Columbia (14-8, 3-5 Ivy) slipped out of the top four with the loss.
“We played very well defensively the whole game,” said head coach Jon Jaques ’10. “There were good moments against Penn, but it wasn't a full complete game effort defensively with [the right] kind of intensity and scrappiness. We’re starting to find our defensive identity and [the] guys executed the game plan pretty well.”
The win marked Cornell’s second and final meeting with Columbia this season. The first matchup — the Ivy opener at Helen Newman Arena — ended in frustration for the Red, who surrendered a late lead in a 104-99 loss after leading by nine with roughly 10 minutes remaining.
Saturday’s result reflected a resilient response from the Red.
Cornell seized control early, opening the game with aggressive drives to the basket and consistent, strong finishes in the paint. The Red built a 24-14 advantage by the eight-minute mark of the first half, establishing a physical tone that would define its success.
Columbia briefly clawed back, cutting the deficit to two, but Cornell steadied itself and preserved a 42-32 lead into halftime.
The second half was no different.
Cornell was fueled by defensive pressure, ball movement and timely scoring, stretching the lead to 26 points. Columbia never closed within eight for the remainder of the contest.
When the dust settled, Cornell finished with a 21 point victory. Its relentless defensive energy was apparent as they forced 15 turnovers, converting them into 26 points. Despite entering the game as the Ivy League’s smallest team, playing against Columbia, the league's largest team, the Red controlled the paint and dictated the pace throughout.
Jaques also highlighted how Cornell leveraged its quickness against Columbia’s size advantage.
“Our size can be a strength, especially in that kind of game, you can get under big guys, pressure passes,” Jaques said. “I think the guys executed very well. For us to be successful defensively, that has to be our identity, using our quickness and agility to our advantage.”
On the other side of the ball, senior guard Josh Baldwin led the way with a career-high 19 points and 10 rebounds, recording the first double-double of his collegiate career. Junior forward Kaspar Sepp complemented Baldwin’s performance, with nine points, six rebounds and a team-high six assists.
“They were both outstanding. They have been for a few weeks for us now, [they are] playing very confidently,” Jaques said. “The way Columbia has defended us this year, it forces those guys [Baldwin and Sepp] to be very aggressive. Both were passing at a high level, and guys were cutting off of them and they just set the tone with how aggressive and decisive they were with the ball.”
Cornell’s scoring balance further underscored its offensive efficiency. Senior guards Adam Hinton, Cooper Noard and Jake Fiegen each made key contributions, finishing with 13, 12 and 11 points respectively. Fiegen also had five rebounds and five assists.
“Our goal is just to be peaking at the right time,” Jaques said. “I think it's no secret. We struggled to stop people. I think now that we're gaining confidence and momentum defensively, it puts less pressure on the offense.”
Cornell will look to carry that defensive identity forward next weekend as it prepares to face Princeton in the final meeting between the two teams this season. The Red earned a 23-point win in the first matchup, but Jaques emphasized that past results offer no guarantees in Ivy League play.
“Everyone in the league is competitive and good,” Jaques stated. “It's not enough just to show up and play hard — you’ve got to execute. That’s the focus.”
The Red will face off against Princeton on Friday at 7 p.m. in New Jersey.
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.
