6:06 AM
seo all
Box Score
HANOVER, N.H. -- In a matchup between two of the leading contenders for Ivy League Player of the Year, Ryan Wittman's cool efficiency topped Alex Barnett's explosive play as Cornell topped Dartmouth 75-57, moving the Big Red within one win of clinching its second straight Ivy League title. Cornell improved to 19-8 (9-2 Ivy), while the Big Green fell to 8-17 (6-5 Ivy) with the loss.
Wittman scored 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range, and added six rebounds to lead four players in double figures. Louis Dale added 14 points and five rebounds, while both Jeff Foote and Chris Wroblewski chipped in with 11 points. Wroblewski added two rebounds, two assists and two steals without a turnover, while Foote grabbed six rebounds and dished off three assists. The visitors shot 50 percent from the floor and made 11-of-19 from 3-point range in the victory. The Cornell defense also limited Dartmouth to 35 percent shooting, including 5-of-19 from beyond the arc.
The Big Green got 19 points and nine rebounds from Alex Barnett, while Ronnie Dixon chipped in 12 points off the bench. Dartmouth was outrebounded 35-31 and had 19 points off Cornell's 11 turnovers. David Rufful had eight points, but was just 2-of-8 from the field.
Dartmouth jumped out to a quick 8-2 lead as Barnett scored the Big Green's first six points to force a Big Red timeout. The Big Red quickly got right back in the game with five quick points and eventually took the lead at 14-13 on a Kreefer putback of an Adam Gore miss with 10:19 left. Barnett continued his hot streak by hitting a 3-pointer on the other end, but Wittman quickly responded with a 15-footer to knot the score at 16-16.
The Big Red started to pull away thanks to its defense, limiting the Big Green to just one field goal, a desperation 3-pointer at the end of the shot clock by David Rufful, over a 6:54 span late in the first half, turning the game from a 16-14 deficit to a 27-16 advantage. The basket was the only made shot in seven first half attempts for the reigning Ivy league Rookie of the Week. Wittman had seven poitns during the run, while Foote had both of his baskets. The lead grew to 10 (33-23) before Robbie Pride's 15-footer with 32 seconds left sent the home team into the break trailing 33-25.
Cornell shot 48 percent from the floor after a slow start and turned the ball over just four times while dishing off eight assists. Dartmouth held a 19-15 advantage on the boards led by a game-high seven rebounds by Barnett, who added 11 points, two assists a blocked shot and a steal in the first 20 minutes.The Big Red defense limited Dartmouth to 35 percent shooting (10-of-29), including 3-of-13 from beyond the arc.
Dartmouth was able to close the gap to three early in the second half at 37-34 on a layup by Elgin Fitzgerald, but the Big Green's 9-4 run to open the second 20 minutes was answered by a flurry on Big Red 3-pointers. Wroblewski knocked down an open trey on a feed from Adam Gore, then Gore drained consecutive 3-pointers to push the lead to 12. Wittman then connected on treys on consecutive possessions, followed by Wroblewski nailed a triple, giving the road team six straight 3-pointers in the span of 5:10 to essentially seal the game. Gore's 3-pointers, in particular, quieted a crowd of 1,572 partisans who had all the momentum with 15 minutes left in regulation.
With both Yale and Princeton winning their Friday evening games, Cornell can't clinch the league's automatic bid on Saturday regardless of its result. A win over Harvard, a 72-63 victor over Columbia on Friday, would give the Big Red at least a share of the Ancient Eight crown.
The Big Red returns to action tomorrow [Saturday] when it faces Harvard at 7 p.m. at Lavietes Pavilion.
0 comments:
Post a Comment