SYRACUSE, N.Y. — One thing has become apparent for the Cornell men the last two seasons: They’ll live and die by the three-pointer.
On Saturday against Syracuse, the Big Red got burnt.
Cornell led by as many as 11 points early in the first half, but a 2-for-17 start from behind the three-point line in the second half plagued the Big Red as they fell, 78-63, to the Orange.
“I thought we had pretty good shots, we just couldn’t make them,” coach Brian Earl said. “It just didn’t go our way at all.
“Everything you come up with is just an excuse. We shoot thousands of shots a week. Maybe we need a little bit more courage when things get going the wrong way for us.”
Syracuse (8-4, 1-0 ACC) fought to tie the game at the half before exploding on a 28-8 run in the second half to take control over Cornell (7-3).
“The last four minutes of the first half and obviously the second [half] just kind of went cold,” said Cornell senior guard Greg Dolan. “It seemed like [Syracuse] started really pressuring the three-point line, making it a little bit different to swing it around.”
Dolan scored just five points, but 10 of Cornell’s 25 made baskets came off his passes. He hovered around the free-throw line, receiving passes from up top and feeding the ball to open players.
“It was just being patient in the middle,” Dolan said. “You catch it in there and they kind of just fan out.”
It’s Dolan’s third time playing Syracuse with Cornell. Dolan dished five assists last year in the Big Red’s first time playing the 10-second, Princeton-style offense. He knows how the 2-3 zone works, though it’ll be the only time Cornell faces a 2-3 zone to that degree.
“He’s seen that zone a few times and understands the patience you need to get guys shots,” Earl said. “He did a good job of it. Apparently, when the ball comes out of his hands, guys make shots.
“It’s an definitely outlier of teams that you’ll play, so we have to know that we’re probably not going to see a zone like that.”
Nazir Williams led Cornell with 12 points off four triples. He hit two of his threes early in the second half to keep the Big Red within two before the big Syracuse run.
Williams’ first trey set an early tone. The Nyack, N.Y. native made the opening shot of the game as Cornell connected on three of its first four three-point shots.
The Big Red tried to play at their normal rapid pace, but Syracuse settled in defensively to slow Cornell toward the end of the first half. The visitors led until nine seconds remaining in the first half.
“We weren’t able to shoot as quickly as we can, but we were able to get a bunch of offensive rebounds and start to pick up the pace a little bit here and there,” Earl said.
Sean Hansen chipped in with 11 points for the Big Red. Isaiah Gray posted eight with two three-pointers, and Chris Manon registered seven.
But Keller Boothby, Max Watson and Guy Ragland Jr. — arguably the best sharpshooters on the team — combined for 3-for-25 shooting from deep.
Boothby, who hit 49% of his three-point tries last season, has connected on just 29% this season.
“Just get back to normal,” Earl said of the three. “Make sure they know that guys miss from time to time, but shouldn’t make it a habit. Get them in the gym, make sure they know what’s expected on both sides of the ball.”
Earl didn’t agree, but Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim thought Cornell outplayed Syracuse — though the box score doesn’t show it.
“I thought Cornell was better than us today,” Boeheim said. “Just missed shots, that’s all. The only reason [Syracuse] won the game was [Cornell] missed shots.”
The last push
Cornell has just three nonconference games remaining before Ivy League play opens New Year’s Day at Dartmouth.
Six weeks into the season, the Big Red still haven’t lost to a mid-major opponent. All three losses are at the expense of ACC opponents — Boston College, Miami and now Syracuse.
Cornell only lost to Boston College and Miami by two points each. But Earl isn’t satisfied with moral victories.
“To take away from these teams, you’re going to see a different level of athlete [in the Ivy] and a different sort of style of play,” Earl said. “In certain situations, we’ve been proud of the effort that the guys have put forward, but we need to keep working on that.”
Lehigh and Colgate, two prominent Patriot League teams, are next for the Big Red. After Christmas, Cornell will host local rival Binghamton out of the America East.
While the Big Red have competed with all three ACC opponents, the final three nonconference games are better measuring sticks against Ivy-style teams, according to Earl.
“We’re going to work on the games we have left here,” Earl said. “They’ll probably give us a better idea of what the Ivy will look like.”
The Big Red are optimistic about the outlook, even though they haven’t closed a game against a prominent opponent.
“We haven’t been able to finish games, and probably one of the most important things in the Ivy League is tough games [like Syracuse],” Dolan said. “When we’re making shots and playing well, things are good. But when things get rough, we have to come back and play with a bit of a vengeance because we can do it.”
Cornell will host Lehigh on Tuesday at 5 p.m. ET.
Excellent game report!