Quakeaways from Penn men’s basketball’s 86-76 loss to Cornell

by

Penn competed with Ivy title contender Cornell for long stretches in its Ivy home opener on Saturday, but the end result was what was widely expected: an 86-76 loss.

The Quakers (4-11, 0-2 Ivy) outplayed the Big Red (10-5, 2-0) for the first 15 minutes or so, but the whole game flipped once Cornell’s best big man, AK Okereke, took over.

With 3:58 to go in the first half, Penn was clinging onto a 27-25 lead when forward Nick Spinoso attempted a behind-the-back pass out of the post which Okereke easily intercepted. The junior then proceeded to drain a transition three in Spinoso’s face to give Cornell the lead.

On the next trip down the floor, Spinoso attempted a layup over Okereke which got blocked by the rim. Okereke then hit a transition layup which forced Quakers coach Steve Donahue into a timeout and it was all downhill from there, as the Big Red built a lead as big as 20 points in the second half.

What can Penn fans take away from an underwhelming afternoon?

Read more

Penn women’s basketball tops Cornell for first Ivy League win

by

The Penn women’s basketball team never trailed Saturday and took its first Ivy League win of the season at Cornell, 57-51.

Both sides had had a stumbling 0-2 start to conference play, so the math was clear: Somebody would get a W. Penn did it with three players in double figures and with better than abysmal shooting, but this wasn’t a thing of beauty for either side. The Quakers managed a respectable 39% shooting from deep but a less than impressive 37% from inside the arc. Facing a Big Red team diminished by the injury that has sidelined star senior forward Summer Parker-Hall, the Quakers built leads of as many as a dozen points but still had to stave off a comeback in the final minutes that drew Cornell to within two.

Read more

Harvard men’s basketball bests Brown on the road, 80-67

by
Harvard and Brown tip off at the Pizzitola Sports Center Saturday for what became an 80-67 victory for the Crimson over the Bears. (Ray Curren | Ivy Hoops Online)

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Two weeks ago, Harvard was down double digits to Division III Bowdoin and having trouble getting good looks in the paint.

Saturday afternoon at the Pizzitola Sports Center, the Crimson took it to favored Brown, dominating the interior and seemingly scoring at will – particularly in the second half – on their way to an 80-67 victory that rekindles some hope Harvard might return to Providence in March for its first Ivy League Tournament since 2019.

Read more

Princeton women’s basketball shuts down Dartmouth, 63-39, for seventh straight win

by

Before tipping off against Dartmouth women’s basketball on Saturday afternoon, Princeton took the court at Jadwin Gymnasium wearing freshly minted warmup shirts with the team’s “Get Stops” slogan colorfully displayed on the front.

The Tigers forcefully delivered on their wardrobe messaging.

The hosts held the Big Green to under 40 points in a dominant 63-39 triumph.

Read more

Yale men’s basketball outlasts Columbia, 92-88

by

It was billed as a battle between the two top Ivy scorers. And it lived up to expectations.

Senior guard John Poulakidas notched 29 points, one off his career high, to lead Yale to a 92-88 win over Columbia at Levien Gym Saturday.

“I take my work and my craft very seriously,” Poulakidas said. “We have a team full of dogs.”

Read more

A dominant offensive performance propels Cornell men’s basketball over Columbia, 94-83

by

In a conference opening battle between the two most prolific offenses in the Ivy League, the Cornell men’s consistent production over 40 minutes proved to be the key in a 94-83 victory over Columbia at Levien Gymnasium.

By time the whistle sounded late Saturday afternoon, Cornell (9-5, 1-0 Ivy) had its first Ancient Eight victory of the year and long-time Big Red player and assistant coach Jon Jaques earned his first-ever conference win as a head coach. On the other side of the court, Jim Engles’ Lions (11-3, 0-1 Ivy) suffered its first loss in league play and home defeat after winning its previous eight non-conference contests.

Read more

Dartmouth women’s basketball tops Penn, 61-49

by
There was a time when Dartmouth dominated Ivy League basketball—when the Big Green would win 12 or 13 of their 14 conference games before dancing off to the NCAA Tournament (and, yes, losing to the likes of Purdue, Connecticut and Maryland—this isn’t a fairy tale).
More recently, Dartmouth would lose 12 or 13 or all 14 of those Ivy games. The postseason consisted of waiting (and waiting) for spring to come to New Hampshire.
On Saturday, the Big Green arrived in West Philly to explain to Penn that times have once again changed.

Read more

Princeton men’s basketball survives Harvard, 68-64

by
Princeton and Harvard tip off at Lavietes Pavilion on Jan. 11, 2025 in what became a 68-64 win for the Tigers over the Crimson. (Ray Curren | Ivy Hoops Online)

BOSTON – There were plenty of mistakes, their shooting was inconsistent, and closing the game out was a mess. But in the end, it was a 68-64 road victory for Princeton over Harvard to open Ivy League play Saturday afternoon.

The Tigers will gladly take it and be on their way.

“The league is so even this year. Even this game, next weekend at Dartmouth, it’s going to be hard. On the margins, that’s where we’ve been really trying to get better,” Princeton coach Mitch Henderson said. “I think it’s kind of going to be whomever is needed on a night that’s going to get us through.”

Read more

Ashley Chea’s buzzer-beater lifts Princeton women’s basketball past Harvard, 52-50, in instant classic

by

Someone had to be a hero.  It turned out to be Ashley Chea.

With Harvard and Princeton knotted at 50 and only 3.7 seconds left on the clock Saturday at Jadwin Gym, Princeton’s sharpshooter guard took an inbounds pass from Skye Belker just beyond the three-point line and was immediately smothered by Harvard’s star guard, Harmoni Turner.

Chea faked a handoff and then spun like a twister to her left to separate from Turner. With one tick remaining, Chea rose up and let loose a long jump shot as the horn sounded. The release was clean as Princeton coach Carla Berube leaned in from the sideline, willing the shot forward.

The ball swished through the net as Chea was mobbed by her jubilant teammates.

Read more

Yale men’s basketball bests Brown, 79-58, in Ivy League opener

by

Two teams with strong revenge motives met at John J. Lee Amphitheater Saturday.

Brown had defeated Yale on the last day of the regular season last year (84-81) to prevent Yale from sharing the regular season Ivy title with Princeton.

But then Yale overcame a six-point deficit with 27 seconds left to defeat Brown in the Ivy League championship game in March, 62-61.

It was Yale that prevailed Saturday in the rematch, 79-58.

“Really good team win for us. We got contributions from everyone,” Yale coach James Jones said.

Read more