Senior guard Cooper Noard scored 19 points in his home state, but Cornell fell 76-65 to Illinois State on Sunday afternoon at CEFCU Arena. The Big Red dropped to 0-2, while the Redbirds, ranked No. 4 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25, improved to 1-1.
Cornell struggled offensively, shooting 35 percent from the field and 6-for-31 from three-point range after making 19 triples in its opener at Kent State. Despite a solid defensive effort that produced seven steals and limited Illinois State to 44 percent shooting in the second half, the Big Red couldn’t overcome the Redbirds’ 40-22 bench scoring advantage and 36-24 edge in the paint.
Senior Adam Hinton added 12 points and three assists, while junior Kaspar Sepp posted 10 points and five rebounds. Senior Josh Baldwin contributed seven points, and DaMaryon Fishburn collected three steals off the bench.
Illinois State’s Ty’Reek Coleman led all scorers with 24 points, including 10-for-13 at the line, and Chase Walker added 13 as the Redbirds closed on a 14-4 run. Cornell started strong, jumping ahead 13-3 behind three early threes, but Illinois State rallied with a 17-2 spurt to lead 34-32 at halftime. The Big Red tied it at 36 early in the second half before the Redbirds’ size and physicality took over.
Cornell wraps up its three-game road swing Thursday, November 13, at Lafayette. The Big Red has won four straight in the series.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].