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For a while, Black Friday looked completely Crimson.
Harvard gave the No. 5 team in the country all it could handle in the semifinals of the Orlando Invitational Friday, holding onto a double-digit lead well into the first half and attaining a 51-44 lead with 11:45 to play.
But Maryland took a lead with 6:41 remaining that it would never relinquish en route to an 80-73 victory.
It’s Thanksgiving, which means it’s time to take stock of what followers of each Ivy men’s team should be thankful for at this point of the season:
The Cornell Big Red continue to struggle, having now lost their sixth straight game, this time to Navy by 11 points.
The Big Red would score first on a layup from Jordan Jones, but that would unfortunately be the only lead they would have a lead. They trailed 42-29 at the half en route to a 72-61 defeat.
Tiger fans were treated Tuesday evening to something they have sorely missed this young season: an exciting nail-biter of a college basketball game. The Arizona State Sun Devils capped off an eastern swing seeking revenge for last year’s remarkable upset at the hands of the Tigers in Tempe. In the end ASU got its revenge, but not before the Tigers pushed them into the final seconds with the outcome very much in doubt. A long baseline three by ASU’s Khalid Thomas inside of five seconds left settled the matter, 67-65.
Four days after suffering an inexplicable 21-point defeat at then-KenPom No. 241 Lafayette, Penn picked up the Ivy League’s biggest win of the young season with a 81-75 victory at then-KenPom No. 28 Providence on Saturday.
Just three weeks into the year, the Quakers now have marquee wins over team from the Big East and SEC, with the other coming at Alabama on the season’s opening night.
For the third straight game, the Cornell Big Red had trouble scoring the ball and lost their fifth straight, this time to Coppin St. in overtime, 68-66. The Big Red (1-5) connected on just 23 of their 79 shot attempts and seven of their 34 three-point attempts.
The Big Red came out of the gate with a 9-5 lead, but the rest of the first half was all Coppin State (2-5) as the Eagles held a 32-22 halftime lead. Cornell would come back and tie the game up with 12 minutes left in regulation, but Coppin State would hold on to a slight lead for the next eight or so minutes.
ITHACA, N.Y. – Cornell never trailed on Thursday as they took down the Niagara Purple Eagles 82-59, ending a three-game homestand and winning their second game in a row.
The Big Red took a 20-13 lead after the first quarter and led 43-32 at halftime. They limited the Purple Eagles to just nine in the third quarter and led 63-41 with 10 minutes remaining.
The Purple Eagles did get off to a quick 8-0 run to begin the quarter, but the Big Red quickly regained control and won the game with ease.
The Tigers arrived in Bloomington to meet the Indiana Hoosiers as 18-point underdogs. Off to a 4-0 start under Archie Miller, the Hoosiers have fired up their rabid fan base fueling hopes of a return to contention at the top of the Big Ten. With low expectations regarding the outcome, Princeton coach Mitch Henderson was prepared to use the game as an opportunity to continue his search for a reliable rotation.
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat came numerous times for James Jones’s Elis, in a thrilling 100-89 triple overtime win over a talented Siena team last night at home before a boisterous crowd.
For the second straight year, the Cornell Big Red gave the Syracuse Orange all they could handle but ultimately fell short again, this time, 72-53. The final score hides the fact that Cornell (1-4) was within three points with 10 minutes remaining in the game.