Coming hot off an 87-64 victory against Princeton on Friday, the Red failed to sustain the momentum against the University of Pennsylvania, falling 81-91 in Saturday’s contest at Newman Arena.
Cornell (10-10, 3-4 Ivy) was favored against Penn (10-10, 3-4 Ivy), having the stronger record both in conference and overall play before the game. The Quakers had been on a three-game losing streak, not surpassing 70 points in any of its matchups.
The Quakers quickly went to work, establishing a lead in the first minute and never looking back. Penn solidified a 14-point, 49-35 lead at the half. It shot 53.3% from three and 59% from the field, unlike Cornell’s inefficient 36.8% from beyond the arc and 38.7% from the field.
In the second half, the Red turned its fortunes around, cutting the differential to three with over 11 minutes left to play. Despite its resurgence, Penn once again took control of the game, driving its lead back up to 11 points. Down the stretch, the Quakers were able to capitalize at the free-throw line, while Cornell struggled to generate clean looks. Although Cornell was able to bring the match within two points, its efforts were futile. Penn once again ramped up the pressure and secured a victory by 11 points.
By the end of the game, it was evident that Penn’s ability to trust its deep bench made a major difference. The Quakers found 16 points from the bench to a mere three from Cornell. Furthermore, the Quakers had consistency across the roster, with six players notching double-digits in scoring compared to the Red’s four players.
Cornell has grown to be ever-reliant on senior guard Cooper Noard, who scored over 20 points (28) for the ninth time this season. Fellow senior guard Jake Fiegen also had a stellar outing, recording 23 points, four rebounds and three assists on 41.2% shooting, good for second on the team in points. Senior guard Josh Baldwin had a rough outing, going 0-2 from behind the arc and 0-2 from the line, totaling only five boards, and fouling out — though he did dish out nine assists.
Penn has historically dominated this matchup, winning 163 games to Cornell’s 80. This is the first matchup in five games in which Cornell has lost.
Halfway through Ivy play, the Red sits seventh in the standings, two games behind Yale, which boasts a 5-2 Ivy, 16-4 overall record. Cornell will look to quickly bounce back at Columbia — who hold the same record as the Red — next Saturday in New York City to avenge its defeat against the Lions earlier in the season. Tip-off is at 2 p.m., and livestream coverage is available on ESPN+.
