Cornell men’s basketball saw its season halted Saturday afternoon, falling to Yale 88-76 in the Ivy Madness semifinal at Newman Arena. The loss dropped the Big Red to 15-13, while the Bulldogs advanced to the Ivy League championship game.
Senior Jake Fiegen led Cornell with 23 points. Jacob Beccles added 18 points and eight rebounds, Adam Hinton scored 14 points and Cooper Noard finished with 10. Josh Baldwin contributed seven assists and six rebounds without committing a turnover as Cornell recorded 24 assists on the afternoon.
Cornell started strong offensively, hitting six of its first eight attempts from 3-point range and keeping pace with Yale throughout the opening half. Fiegen knocked down two early triples as the Big Red trimmed the deficit to one on multiple occasions.
Yale maintained the advantage behind efficient shooting and balanced scoring. Isaac Celiscar led the Bulldogs with 27 points, repeatedly scoring in the paint, while Trevor Mullin added 21 points and Jordan Brathwaite contributed 14 off the bench. Yale carried a 49-42 lead into halftime after shooting efficiently and capitalizing on second chances.
Cornell rallied midway through the second half when Anthony Nimani hit a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 58-56. Yale responded with a surge behind Celiscar and Brathwaite, rebuilding a comfortable margin.
The Big Red made one final push late in the game. Three-pointers from Beccles and Fiegen cut the deficit to five with just over two minutes remaining, but Yale answered with a layup and free throws to seal the victory.
Yale shot 54.7 percent from the field and outscored Cornell 46-34 in the paint. Cornell cooled after its hot start, shooting 29 percent in the second half.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.