Jacob Beccles scored the go-ahead layup with 24 seconds remaining, and Quinn Gibson blocked a shot in the closing seconds as Cornell beat Pepperdine 86-85 in its season opener Monday at Newman Arena.
Beccles finished with 19 points, four assists and two steals. Mateen Rafiq added a career-high 17 points for the Big Red, who made 14 of 29 attempts from 3-point range.
Cornell survives Pepperdine's late rally
Cornell led by 10 with six minutes remaining before Pepperdine used a 13-2 run to move ahead. Constanza scored 10 points during that stretch, including a putback that gave the Waves an 85-84 lead with 40 seconds left.
Gibson missed two free throws with 30 seconds remaining, but Anthony Nimani grabbed the offensive rebound. After a timeout, Kaspar Sepp found Beccles for the winning layup.
Gibson blocked Constanza's attempt with eight seconds left. Cornell retained possession on the alternating-possession arrow after Beccles was tied up securing the rebound, and Pepperdine's final 3-point attempt missed at the buzzer.
Big Red connect from outside
Beccles and Rafiq each went 4-for-6 from beyond the arc. Ian Imegwu supplied four more 3-pointers and 12 points off the bench, while Sepp finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
Cornell shot 52% from the field and recorded 22 assists on 33 baskets. The Big Red led 46-40 at halftime and stretched the margin to 68-53 with 12:54 remaining.
Constanza led Pepperdine with 25 points and nine rebounds in his debut. Former Syracuse player Petar Majstorovic scored 15 points. The Waves outrebounded Cornell 38-32 and converted 16 offensive rebounds into 23 second-chance points.
Cornell hosts Lehigh at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, on ESPN+.
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