Cornell men’s basketball trimmed a 23-point deficit to two in the second half, but Penn’s efficiency and late free throws secured a 91-81 victory Saturday evening at Newman Arena. The loss snapped Cornell’s three-game winning streak as both teams finished the night 10-10 overall and 3-4 in Ivy League play.
Penn controlled the opening half, scoring 49 points and building its lead behind sharp perimeter shooting. The Quakers connected on 8-of-15 attempts from three-point range in the first 20 minutes, with Michael Zanoni and Ethan Roberts combining for 26 points. Despite the early surge, Cornell closed the half on a brief run to trail 49-35 at the break.
The Big Red surged after halftime, using defensive pressure and improved shooting to mount a comeback. Senior Cooper Noard fueled the rally with back-to-back 3-pointers, pulling Cornell within 69-67 with 7:30 remaining. Cornell shot 50 percent from the field in the second half and finished 14-of-33 from beyond the arc.
Penn answered every push down the stretch, relying on trips to the free-throw line to regain control. The Quakers converted 19-of-25 foul shots in the second half and held a 36-26 advantage on the glass. Zanoni led Penn with 19 points on 6-of-9 shooting, while Roberts added 17 points and five assists. AJ Levine contributed 15 points and six assists, and Augustus Gerhart scored 13 points on a perfect 6-for-6 shooting performance.
Noard paced Cornell with 28 points, knocking down six 3-pointers. Jake Fiegen added 23 points and four rebounds, while Adam Hinton finished with 13 points. Jacob Beccles chipped in 12 points, four assists and four steals.
Cornell continues Ivy League play Saturday, February 7, visiting Columbia for a 2 p.m. tipoff at Levien Gymnasium.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].