Recent Contributions from Harrison D. Sanford

Red Can’t Overcome Strong Offense of Mid-Major Siena

Harrison D. Sanford — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:07:01 -0500

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Red Can’t Overcome Strong Offense of Mid-Major Siena

Harrison D. Sanford — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

ALBANY, N.Y. — The men’s basketball team couldn’t repeat its success against Siena last year, losing 74-56 after defeating the Saints last season in Ithaca. Still without the services of junior Louis Dale, the Red did not shoot well from the field, connection on 35 percent, including 7-of-24 from downtown.

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Siena’s Kenny Hasbrouck led all scorers with 22 points, five rebounds and four assists. Jeff Foote led Cornell with 14 points and five rebounds, junior Geoff Reeves dropped in 13 points and four assists. Junior Ryan Wittman turned in his worst performance of the year, after scoring 11 points on 4-of-17 shooting.

Sanford Says: ‘NASCAR Is Not A Sport’

Harrison D. Sanford — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Let me ask you a question. If I was to, say, go out with one of my friends, race two cars around the neighborhood for 50 or 60 laps, would you call that a sport? How about if I did 200 laps? Or what if I got a small group of people to watch? And I promised to do a back flip after I win? Would you call that a sport? I thought you wouldn’t.

But for some reason, I am still trying to understand why people consider NASCAR an actual sport. For some reason, driving around for 500 laps or so earns some coverage in sports shows. Really? How about me? Can I get some coverage? Give me a nice ride with some horsepower and I can busy too.

Despite Slow Second Half, Red Holds on for the Win

Harrison D. Sanford — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The banner celebration of the men’s Ivy League championship didn’t last too long. The Red got down to business Friday night, beating new Division I team South Dakota, 79-69, Friday night. With the Red’s typical backcourt sidelined with injuries, junior Ryan Wittman tied a career-high, scoring 25 points and pacing the Red in a double-digit win.

“Any time you take the player of the year off a team it’s going to hurt,” Wittman said of Ivy League Player of the Year Louis Dale, who sat with a hamstring injury. “But a lot of different people stepped up. Geoff Reeves, Chris [Wroblewski] stepped in late in the game. We all made plays.”

Men's Basketball Season Preview

Harrison D. Sanford — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

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Men's Basketball Season Preview

Injury Concerns Hamper Guards

Harrison D. Sanford — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

As last season came along, the trio of senior co-captain Adam Gore and juniors Louis Dale and Ryan Wittman were feared by the Red’s opponents. The ability of Gore and Wittman to spread the floor with their long distance touch complemented by aggressive play from Dale led the Red to one of the most memorable seasons in Cornell basketball history. Fans of the Red will have to wait to see the combination again as Gore will be sitting out until at least the beginning of the Ivy League season after tearing his ACL in practice. While the team waits for Gore’s return, players such as junior Geoff Reeves and freshman Chris Wroblewski will be asked to help replace the senior’s production.

Football Hopes for Better Luck on the Road

Harrison D. Sanford — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Even with the Ivy League title out of sight, the football team still has a couple of games to look forward to, starting with Saturday’s afternoon matchup against Columbia. Cornell entered last weekend’s 37-14 win over Dartmouth with generous motivation stemming from a 51-39 defeat a year earlier. The team will have its own reasons to get pumped this weekend, as the team will travel to New York City for a contest that can be termed as a state championship.

Carry on: Senior Luke Siwula (center) runs through a tackle in the Red’s 37-14 win over Dartmouth last Saturday in Ithaca. Cornell will play on the road this weekend.

Winless Green struggles against Red’s strong defensive, offensive performance

Harrison D. Sanford — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 14:56:27 -0500

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Men's Ice Hockey Season Preview

Harrison D. Sanford — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 01:21:53 -0500

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Last-Second Shot Gives Red Win in Scrimmage

Harrison D. Sanford — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The men’s basketball team brought something rare to Ithaca last year — excitement about an NCAA tournament basketball team. Keeping up that momentum, the team put on a show for the Red faithful Saturday afternoon in the annual Red-White scrimmage. The contest would go down to the final buzzer, as junior Andre Wilkins hit a 3-pointer with two seconds left to give the Red the 74-71 victory.

Man of the hour: A trey by junior Andre Wilkins (13) with two seconds left gave his Red team the win in the men’s basketball team’s Red-White scrimmage.

More Student Reactions to President-Elect Obama

Harrison D. Sanford — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 20:10:51 -0500

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Cornell University Students React to Obama Becoming the Next President of the United States

Harrison D. Sanford — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

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Red Looks to Avenge 2007 Loss at Dartmouth

Harrison D. Sanford — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

After a disheartening loss to Princeton last week, the Red will look to move back to .500 with a win over Dartmouth at Schoellkopf Field tomorrow afternoon. In last week’s contest, the team had 555 yards of offense but still lost by five points. The loss was the Red’s third Ivy loss of the year, making it nearly impossible to win an Ivy League title. But that sentiment wasn’t obvious on the field yesterday evening as the team prepped for another Ivy League foe.

Evasive maneuvers: Cornell will have a run-first mentality against Dartmouth tomorrow, looking to put the ball in the hands of junior running back Randy Barbour (30).

Sports President for a Day

Harrison D. Sanford — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

First and foremost, I’m feeling good right about now — presidential almost. It didn’t really set in until I talked to my mother Tuesday night. I haven’t heard my mother that joyous in a while, if ever. Even if Barack Obama doesn’t work out how everybody hopes and assumes he will, his election means so much in terms of how far we have come as African Americans and as America as a whole.

And for that alone, Tuesday was a great day in America.

But seeing as this is on the other side of the newspaper — which is the better side — I have to keep this column sports-related.

Red Struggles in Red Zone, Efﬁcient Tigers Succeed

Harrison D. Sanford — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Senior co-captain quarterback Nathan Ford had no problems mobilizing the Red’s powerful passing attack, accumulating 431 yards in the Red’s 31-26 loss to Princeton Saturday afternoon. The rhythm of the offense was thrown off balance once it reached the red zone, only scoring on four of six opportunities. In the red zone, Cornell only scored two touchdowns and settled for two other field goals. The inability to put seven points on the board as opposed to three served to be crucial in the team’s five point defeat.

“[When] you get down there, its all about making plays,” said head coach Jim Knowles ’87. “They made plays, we didn’t.”

Day Celebrates University Sustainability Efforts

Harrison D. Sanford — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 21:24:38 -0400

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Ivy Leader Brown Shuts Down Cornell Attack

Harrison D. Sanford — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 01:52:09 -0400

The football team started Saturday afternoon’s contest against Brown on a positive note. It was what happened later that explains why the Red returned to Ithaca with its third consecutive loss of the season, losing 27-7.

Brown quarterback Michael Dougherty survived a shaky first quarter to lead his squad, accumulating 285 yards through the air to complement two touchdowns. Both scores went to wide reciever Bobby Sewall, who made 11 catches for 181 yards.

“I thought [Bobby Sewall] was good,” said head coach Jim Knowles ’87. “But I think we’ve faced better. “

Sunday Morning Ritual: Sports Are Sacred

Harrison D. Sanford — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

So you lay there, with your stomach in a knot, motionless. The calls from your roommates don’t even earn a coherent response from you. If you decide to say anything, it really wouldn’t matter because it all comes out sounding like a bad radio signal. To your roommates, you might as well have not said anything.

As you lay there in the warmth of your comforter, you try to assemble your Sunday hangover survival kit.

Your phone, if you get the power to turn over and find it, is a remnant of last night’s successes and losses. Full with texts that you didn’t want to see, texts you accidentally sent, texts you don’t even understand or a combination of all three. Your next move, you move your arm around the bed, hoping, almost begging the remote to be in arm’s reach.

Colgate Raids Shoellkopf

Harrison D. Sanford — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 22:53:36 -0400

The Red lose at home to Colgate this past Saturday, 38-22

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This Week In Cornell Sportscast: Football, M. Hockey, Basketball and Soccer and more

Harrison D. Sanford — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 03:57:44 -0400

This Week In Cornell Sportscast: Football, M. Hockey, Basketball and Soccer and more

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Freshman switches from defense to offense to lead Raiders

Harrison D. Sanford — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Coming into Saturday’s contest against Colgate, Cornell’s defensive focus was stopping its opponent’s vaunted rushing attack. Senior tailback Jordan Scott entered the game as the Football Championship Series’ (FCS) leading rusher, averaging 186 yards per game. Throughout the first 18 minutes of the game, it didn’t seem like the Red could handle the 2007 Walter Payton award finalist as he quickly accumulated 41 yards. So when the feared tailback hit the sidelines with a high ankle sprain with 13:29 left in the first half, it seemed that there was hope for Cornell’s run defense. But the defensive corps was even less able to halt freshman Nate Eachus, who put on a standout performance of his own.

Back In Business: Red to Host Colgate

Harrison D. Sanford — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 01:47:07 -0400

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Back In Business: Red to Host Colgate

Harvard Cruises Past Cornell

Harrison D. Sanford — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Prior to Saturday’s loss in Cambridge, Mass., the football team had stayed close in all of its three games, bouncing back to win each game at the wire. Saturday at Harvard, however, the game was essentially decided before halftime, as fifth-year quarterback Chris Pizzotti and the Crimson rolled over the Red, 38-17.

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“We got beat by a better team today,” said head coach Jim Knowles ’87. “I think they beat us in all areas and all phases of the game. Offense, defense, special teams. I thought they beat us to the punch early, but things settled down in the second half and things were fairly evenly matched.”

Red Fall to Harvard, No Longer Undefeated

Harrison D. Sanford — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 20:20:30 -0400

The Red lost on the road to Harvard this weekend, 38-17

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Non-conference contest comes down to final seconds

Harrison D. Sanford — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

BETHLEHEM, Penn. — “I still can’t believe it happened,” said senior tri-captain quarterback Nathan Ford. “I just remember, Jesse looked to me in the huddle and said, ‘I’ll see you in the end zone.’ So that’s when I knew good things were going to happen.”

[video:node=32435] And good things did happen for Ford and the Red Saturday afternoon, especially in the team’s last drive against Lehigh. Trailing 24-19, Ford connected with seniors Zac Canty, Horatio Blackman and junior Bryan Walters to march the Red to the 20-yard line.

Then, with four seconds left, Ford put his trust in senior wide receiver Jesse Baker to bring down the jump ball he threw to the right pylon in the end zone.

Built Ford Tough: Ford Leads Game-Winning Drive

Harrison D. Sanford — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 21:43:18 -0400

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Highlights of the Red's 25-24 win on Saturday over Lehigh

Tough 'D' Awaits Red at Lehigh

Harrison D. Sanford — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Before next weekend’s showdown with co-Ivy League favorite Harvard, the football squad will head to Bethlehem, Pa., tomorrow to take on Lehigh in what can be termed as a set-up game. Coming off a 17-14 win against the other Ivy League favorite Yale and with such a big conference game looming, head coach Jim Knowles ’87 is trying to keep his players focusing on one game at a time.

“This year especially, we have the mentality of one game at a time,” said senior safety Gus Krimm. “We were really happy after the Yale win and we enjoyed it, but by Tuesday, it was time to work. As for the Harvard game, we haven’t even addressed that yet.”

Study for that Prelim or Watch the Mets: It's an Easy Call

Harrison D. Sanford — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

So I had a prelim last Thursday that frankly, I wasn’t prepared for. Despite all my efforts to wake up in time for my 10:10, it just didn’t work. From having wake-up calls from my friend to putting my phone alarm on the highest volume, it just wasn’t happening.

I even put my phone on the floor on the other side of the room to make myself actually get out of bed to turn it off — still didn’t work. I would somehow convince myself to get under the sheets (the lecture slides are all online, right?).

So after a month of either missing class or getting there late, I had one night to get it all together.

Red Faces Ivy Favorite Yale to Start Ivy Schedule

Harrison D. Sanford — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The biggest concern for most students regarding tomorrow’s Homecoming game is the likelihood of rain. The football team, however, has bigger concerns, as preseason Ivy League favorite Yale will visit Ithaca with aspirations of spoiling the Red’s return to Schoellkopf Field.

“It’s not just Homecoming, it’s our first home game,” Rihn said. “I love playing at Schoellkopf. I think we are dangerous at Schoellkopf and with Yale being the preseason favorite, that adds a little something to the game.”

Men's Football Escapes Bucknell With One-Point Victory

Harrison D. Sanford — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 04:19:14 -0400

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Men's Football Escapes Bucknell With One-Point Victory

Football Opens Season With Win

Harrison D. Sanford — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

LEWISBERG, Penn. — The football team’s grit was tested Saturday night as the Red defeated the Bison 21-20. Only ahead by one point after a Bucknell touchdown, senior co-captain Graham Rihn and the defense halted the Bison’s attempts with a PAT block and a defensive stop on the ensuing possession. In the past couple of seasons, head coach Jim Knowles ’87 wouldn’t have predicted his squad to fare so well on the road in that type of pressure situation.

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“We had some plays out there that didn’t go our way,” Knowles said. “In the past, we might have gone in the tank, but there was a resolve in the team to stick together”

Perennial Powerhouses

Harrison D. Sanford — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

On the last day of the 2007 season, Yale and Harvard met at the Yale Bowl with the Ivy League title on the line. Yale seemed like the favorite after rolling over nearly all of its opponents, but with All-League running back Mike McLeod hampered due to injury, the Crimson won in a blowout. Now both teams are back for more, tied atop the preseason media poll. Brown and Penn are not too far behind, though. Brown boasts one of the best passing attacks in the nation, while Penn’s star quarterback wil return from a shoulder injury that sidelined him last year.

Brown Bears

2007: 5-5, 4-3 Ivy

Stars of the Secondary

Harrison D. Sanford — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The Red’s secondary has a little bit of everything — an all-Ivy caliber player, a consistent starter and inexperience. The unit will be headed by two-time All-Ivy selection senior Tim Bax at the free safety position and three-year starter Gus Krimm at the rover spot.

Bax was named the team’s MVP last season after finishing second in the Ivy League with 100 tackles. In fact, with three more, the Chicago, Ill., native will be the 20th person in school history to accumulate 200 tackles. That is a number he shouldn’t have problem reaching — Bax had two 15-tackle performances last year against Yale and Columbia. His performance so far has head coach Jim Knowles ’87 speculating that he could grab the eye of NFL scouts.

Ford Works on Patience, Release

Harrison D. Sanford — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Senior co-captain Nathan Ford has already proven that he has an arm. The two-year starter finished last year third on the school’s career passing list with 3,451 yards. Ford’s ability to work Knowles’ installment of the West Coast offense shows his talent in the pocket. But with a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 6-to-14, Knowles will be looking for more from his leader in the pocket, especially in his second season in the system.

“[Ford] has to be able to make better decision,” Knowles said. “He is going into his third year but the second year of this offensive staff. They expect him to improve by leaps and bounds … It’s a maturity thing, second year in the system, having better protection, better alleys, everybody has to work on it.”

Sportscenter Withdrawal

Harrison D. Sanford — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

This column is dedicated to all my friends who have asked me, “Yo, are you still writing your column this year? Because I haven’t seen it.” It’s you guys that make me continue to do this thing, even though its 12:25 a.m. and I got too much to do in too little time.

Ahh, but it has been too long.

I don’t even know how I’ve been able to do it. It’s been killing me. I don’t think I can actually go any longer.

I swear Time Warner and I are going to have duke it out, seriously.

Adam Gore Injury

Harrison D. Sanford — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 01:31:18 -0400

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Biddy Martin Farewell Reception

Harrison D. Sanford — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 22:10:38 -0400

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Former Provost Biddy Martin is honored by colleagues.

Searching For One Shining Moment

Harrison D. Sanford — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

I’ve always been a competitor. I was one of those guys who you could always find at the park, running his mouth, diving for loose balls and starting fights. I was the captain of my high school basketball team because Coach knew that I was one of those guys who battled in practice and games. Those were the days when I was actually nice and had respectable athleticism. Nowadays, my competition comes from XBox 360 and Take A Loss Tuesdays — I’ll explain later.

You would think with my competitive nature, I would have a pretty good amount of “big game” success … wrong.

Leave Baseball to Summer; Basketball Should Rule the Spring

Harrison D. Sanford — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Ah, spring is here. Well, not really here in Ithaca, but it is officially spring now according to the calendar. As the weather starts to heat up, thoughts of barbeques, wine tours, tailgating at lacrosse games and finally abandoning my jacket are pacing through my head consistently.

With all the thoughts of sunshine, many of you sports fans have been consumed by baseball. Drooling over Buster Olney’s season previews, wondering if Johan can help the Mets forget about last season’s debacle, pondering if the Red Sox can really win again (I’d be damned).

Stanford Sends Men's Basketball Home From NCAA Tournament

Harrison D. Sanford — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

ANAHEIM, Calif. — While the verdict is still out on which is the better academic institution, Stanford proved to field a better basketball team as it knocked Cornell out of the NCAA tournament this afternoon, 77-53. In its first NCAA tournament appearance in 20 years, the Red fell victim to what many of the Cardinal’s opponents have this year: its defense. The Red, who came into the game as one of the better shooting teams in college basketball, shot 30 percent from the field — including an NCAA tournament low 15 percent in the first half.

Keys to the Game

Harrison D. Sanford — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:26:25 -0400

For the record, I got Marquette beating Kentucky in my NCAA brackets but as I sit courtside and watch the two battle, I could care less how my predictions work out. Any other year, I would be glued to the television set, drink and snacks at immediate disposal and brackets in hand. But as the game continues to go back-and-forth, I can only focus on the Red’s upcoming matchup with the Cardinal.

Here are the announced starting lineups:

Underdog Cornell Faces Stanford in NCAA M. Hoops Tourney Opening Round

Harrison D. Sanford — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:30:00 -0400

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Some reporters have called it the “Battle of the Nerds.” Some have branded it the “Battle for the Better Red.” But tomorrow’s matchup between the Red and the Cardinal can simply be titled a first round matchup in the NCAA Tournament. The Red (22-5) has an opportunity of a lifetime, facing a No. 3-seeded Stanford (26-7) in its home state at the Honda Center.

“It’s just a wonderful opportunity for us,” said sophomore Louis Dale. “We have nothing to lose. We’re just going to come out and play as hard as we can. … I don’t think we’re really focusing on being the underdog. We’re just going to stay within ourselves and do what we can do.”

The Cardinal is in the Building

Harrison D. Sanford — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 18:00:00 -0400

The Cardinal(s) hit the floor for practice open to the media and they are all about business.

Stanford head coach Trent Johnson stood in the middle of the court, clapping his hands and his players dribbled down the court alongside in a workmanlike manner.

Immediately, I look for the Lopez Twins. As you will see tomorrow, these are legit 7-0 footers. Our photographer/videographer Rob Burris immediately said to me, “those dudes are big,” and Rob is 6-6. Having a true 7-0 footer nowadays is a rarity for any professional team – let alone a collegiate program. Having two of them makes matters worse.

We Are Here Now

Harrison D. Sanford — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:45:00 -0400

The Red have played games in some of college basketball’s biggest gyms this year. From the Carrier Dome, to the Cameron Indoor Stadium to the The Palestra at Penn. But none of those can stand to the experience of finally stepping onto the floor of the Honda Center. At 12:45 p.m. Pacific, the Red got its first chance to finally step onto the court that they hope to upset the Stanford Cardinal on in a practice open to the public.

With cheerleaders, the band, alums and administrators watching, the team conducted a series of light drills. As The Red players were generally upbeat, head coach Steve Donahue was all business. With players gong through your basic basketball drills, Donahue viewed attentively … arms crossed, legs spread, no smiles.

Warm Weather, Blue Skies

Harrison D. Sanford — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 01:20:07 -0400

March 16, 2008

In a room with so many people, it was almost scary how quiet the place became as North Carolina was named the No. 1 seed. The winner of the Coppin State/ Mt. St. Mary’s game was given the chore of facing the Tar Heels. A collective laugh echoed from the room as some players joked about the possibility of being that 16-seed facing Tyler Hansbrough and the Tar Heels.

As a matter of fact, we joked about the situation and how pissed some of the players would have been. Junior Jeff Foote would have stormed outside and kicked the first squirrel he saw. (Refer to Sun Senior Writer Lance Williams’ 10 Questions piece with Jeff Foote to understand the reference.)

Selection Sunday Preparation

Harrison D. Sanford — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 01:10:51 -0400

March 16, 2008

Even before Newman Nation rushed the court on March 1, Cornell basketball fans were waiting for yesterday’s selection show. All the talk about seeding, locations and possible upsets whirled through my head – and many others – consistently. Cornell’s 20-year exclusion from the selection show was halted yesterday as Greg Gumble announced the Red as one of the NCAA Tournament’s 14-seeds.

The blogs that I will be writing daily until the Red are no longer in competition, will look at the whole NCAA tournament experience inside out.

Fighting Your Inner Fan

Harrison D. Sanford — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

From the second I started writing for the Sun, I knew I wanted to cover the men’s basketball team. When I became an Assistant Sports Editor, I could have chosen to do any sport. Generally, covering hockey or wrestling (which are typically the stronger, more nationally-known winter programs) would be a sports writer’s top choice at the Sun. But not for me. After sitting all by my lonesome sometimes in Newman Arena during freshman year, to living next to and becoming good friends with some of the players, the choice to cover the men’s basketball team was almost natural.

Late Run Earns Red a Win

Harrison D. Sanford — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The men’s basketball team’s historic sweep of Ivy League play almost didn’t happen. After dominating double-digit victories against Yale and Brown the weekend before, the Red traveled to Cambridge, Mass., in hopes of earning its ninth consecutive win. Cornell fell well short of dominating Harvard as it trailed from the 16:34 mark in the final stanza, down by as much as 11 with 9:55 on the clock.

Despite 16 turnovers, 2-of-13 shooting from the 3-point line and 7-for-18 long distance shooting for the Crimson, the Red was within striking distance. With 31 seconds left in the road contest, Cornell was down 71-66 and seemed on its way to returning to the “pack” with its first conference loss of the season.

Robinson Departs Just Prior to Ivy Play

Harrison D. Sanford — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

After losing three consecutive games, the men’s basketball team’s momentum picked up after an overtime win against Quinnipiac, a competitive loss to Duke and wins over Alvernia and NJIT. Junior Jeff Foote was finally getting into a groove after being forced to sit out the first semester due to NCAA transfer regulations. All these events gave the Red momentum going into Ivy League play.

Non-Conference Play Primes Red for Ivy Foes

Harrison D. Sanford — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Every coach tries to schedule games that will prepare his or her team for peak performance in conference play. Cornell got some intense training early this season, as it traveled to face two of college basketball’s most celebrated teams, Syracuse and Duke.

The Red was dominated by the Orange Dec. 22 in the Carrier Dome, 80-64. The contest against Duke was competitive, with the Red even holding a lead in the first half. The Blue Devils would eventually earn the win, 81-67. Despite both games resulting in losses, the Red used the experiences to propel it to its current 16-game winning streak.

The Red’s bid for upsets started that day at the Carrier Dome. In the contest, the Red were out-rebounded, 52-37, and shot 10-for-25 from the 3-point line.