Men’s basketball (22-6, 11-3 Ivy) entered Saturday’s regular-season finale looking for a victory before the team takes its talents to New York City for the Ivy Madness Tournament where it will face Yale.
The Red never trailed against Columbia (13-14, 4-10 Ivy) and broke away in the second half to secure the 98-76 win and cap off its best regular season since its trip to the Sweet 16 in 2010.
Senior forward Sean Hansen and senior guard Chris Manon combined to score the Red’s first eight points to open the scoring. Columbia responded with eight of its own led by guard Zavian McLean.
The Red would expand its lead after knocking down a trio of three-pointers including two from freshman guard Jake Fiegen and never looked back, continuing to grow the advantage throughout the first half.
Sophomore guard Cooper Noard’s big day started with a three-pointer midway through the first half as he finished the game with a team-leading 17 points, going 5-9 from beyond the arc. But Noard was not the only one with the hot hand from three-point range. Cornell finished the half going 8-17 from distance while the Lions went 3-11.
While Columbia stuck around throughout most of the first half, the Red always had a response and headed into the locker room with a 49-43 lead.
The Red pulled away in the second half, opening the period on a 9-3 run to increase its lead to 10. Noard hit a jumper in the paint before Manon and senior guard Isaiah Gray tacked on points of their own.
Following the 10-minute mark in the second half, the Red would outscore the Lions 26-15, with notable performances from Noard, sophomore forward AK Okereke and junior forward Guy Ragland Jr. leading the way.
Noard’s power will be significant for the Red as it moves on to the Ivy Madness Tournament. Noard’s five successful three-pointers on Saturday bolstered his season total to 55, putting him 14 above the next-best Cornell three-point shooter while his 20.8 minutes per game averages fourth-best on the team.
The win locks Cornell as the third seed for the Ivy Madness Tournament in New York City from March 16-17. The Red will face off against Yale in its semifinal battle at 2 p.m. on March 16 from Levien Gymnasium. The semifinal game will be streamed live on ESPNews.