Cornell men’s basketball secured a 72-69 victory over first-place Yale on Friday night at Newman Arena after Jake Fiegen delivered a game-winning three-pointer with one second remaining.
The Big Red improved to 13-12 overall and 6-6 in Ivy League play, moving into sole possession of fourth place and the final Ivy Madness spot with two games remaining. Cornell never trailed in the contest and led for all but 49 seconds.
After Yale tied the game at 69 with seven seconds left, Cornell pushed the ball up the floor without using a timeout before Fiegen connected from beyond the arc off a handoff from Josh Baldwin. Fiegen finished with a team-high 17 points along with eight rebounds and four assists.
Cornell placed five players in double figures, with Cooper Noard scoring 16 points and Baldwin adding 13 points and four assists. Anthony Nimani contributed 12 points off the bench, and Adam Hinton added 11 points. The Big Red shot 48.1 percent from the field and made 14 three-pointers, including nine in the first half to take a 35-30 halftime lead.
Cornell extended its advantage to 13 early in the second half before Yale rallied behind strong interior scoring and transition play to erase the deficit late. The Big Red responded with balanced offense, outrebounding Yale 31-28 and holding a 12-3 edge in second-chance points.
Cornell returns to action Saturday, February 28, hosting Brown at Newman Arena for a 6 p.m. tipoff on Senior Day.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.