As Ivy Madness kicked off, it was clear something special was building. Both teams knew the stakes, and their play demonstrated it.
It seemed as if neither team could miss. If one team hit a three-pointer, the other came down and immediately did the same. After ten minutes, both teams scored a combined 56 points, with Yale consistently only up by one or two baskets.
Junior guard Jacob Beccles was the notable standout player for the Red, scoring ten points just minutes into the game.
It seemed as if both teams were waiting for a crucial play to electrify the team. Senior forward DJ Nix entered the game and did exactly that. When Yale’s Devon Arlington drove to the hoop, Nix said no, blocking Arlington and sending Newman into a frenzy.
This play was followed by both teams trading even more blows.
Anthony Nimani '27 hyped up after battling Yale for the ball.
As time in the first half began to tick away, Yale was able to hit a few unanswered shots to increase their lead. When the horn blared in Newman, Yale entered their locker room holding a 7-point lead, with the overall score reading 49-42.
The second began as many expected, with more intensity from the players and more energy from the fans. Cornell came out fast, coming within two of Yale after five minutes to make the score 56-58, but couldn’t manage to sustain its shooting for the rest of the half as Yale slowly pulled away.
The Bulldogs only got better from there, maintaining their 55% field goal percentage from the first half and going 3-8 from three. The Red, on the other hand, noticeably shot worse in the second 20 minutes, dropping down to 42% from the field after its scintillating 64% in the first half.
With two minutes left, senior guard Jake Fiegen, who led the team with 23 points, drained a three-pointer to cut the deficit to seven. The Red needed a stop — and got just that. After the Red forced Yale’s senior forward Nick Townsend to turn over the ball, Beccles quickly drove down the court and grabbed his own rebound to assist senior guard Adam Hinton to put the score at 76-81.
Jake Fiegen '26 and Kasper Sepp '27 attempt to block Yale from scoring.
Disappointingly for the Red, the game got away from there, as Yale stayed cool and killed the clock to eventually win 88-76 and book their ticket to the final against the winner of the Harvard and Penn matchup.
As senior guards Josh Baldwin, Jake Feigen, Cooper Noard and Hinton, checked out for a final time in the waning seconds, Newman Nation got on its feet and gave all of them a standing ovation, appreciative of their efforts throughout their Cornell careers.
For the Red, this is the third consecutive year that Yale has knocked the team out of the Ivy Madness tournament. As for the Bulldogs, it will be their seventh final appearance in the tournament’s eight-year existence.
Coming into this matchup, the Red tried to take the positives from the previous matchup, in which it won, 72-69 at home, and implement them into its strategy today.
Head coach Jon Jaques ’10 credited Yale for their preparation for the Red’s usual style of defense.
“They made some adjustments defensively,” Jaques said. “I think we're focused on how we move off the ball and how effective these guys are, cutting and screening for each other, and they did a really good job preparing for the game.”
Throughout the course of the game, the Red’s shooting percentage began to drop further and further away from the near-perfect percentage in the first half. Jaques acknowledged that while his team was getting the looks he was hoping for, the basketball refused to drop through the hoop.
“I think sometimes we just missed shots,” Jaques said. “I think we got a lot of good looks, really good looks to start the second half. Exactly what we drew up in the huddle, a great shot for a great shooter. Adam [Hinton] misses the shot he normally makes, you know. So stuff happens.”
While Hinton may not have had the best shooting performance from beyond the arc, he still finished the game as one of the Red’s most impactful players, scoring 14 points while also securing four rebounds.
Hinton is a player whose impact on Cornell basketball can not be overstated, playing four years with the program and consistently being one of the better players on the Red’s roster.
Despite the loss, seniors Fiegen and Noard were able to look back on their time with the program with fond memories rather than bask in the disappointment that comes with defeat.
“I'm so proud of the way we continue to fight through any and all adversity and I'm super thankful for this group,” Noard said. “Super thankful for coach Jaques and the rest of his staff that we were able to do what we wanted to do. While we wanted to have an NCAA birth, and I wanted it really bad for this community, I hang my head high. I'm proud of the way I grew as a person, as a player throughout my career.”
While it may have been the last time many of the Red’s beloved seniors stepped onto the court in front of Newman Nation, their legacy and impact on Cornell basketball will never be forgotten.
Matthew Leonard is a member of the Class of 2028 in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. He is the sports editor of the 144th Editorial Board and was previously the assistant sports editor of the 143rd Editorial Board. He can be reached at mleonard@cornellsun.com.
