Anthony Nimani

No. 1 Yale men’s basketball holds off No. 4 Cornell to advance to Ivy League Tournament final

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Cornell and Yale men’s basketball tip off their Ivy League Tournament semifinal matchup at Newman Arena on March 14, 2026. (Ray Curren/Ivy Hoops Online)

ITHACA, N.Y. – Cornell senior Josh Baldwin entered the center circle for the opening tip Saturday morning at Newman Arena and just smiled at Yale’s Samson Aletan.

At 6-foot-5, Baldwin knew he had no chance to win the jump, but his insertion into the starting lineup has been integral to Cornell’s late-season success, particularly on the defensive end, where the Big Red made great strides to win eight of 11 and somewhat improbably get to Ivy Madness at all after an 0-3 league start. The most prominent of those wins was an uncharacteristic 72-69 slugfest over two-time defending champ Yale two weeks ago.

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Last-second three gives Cornell men’s basketball key win over Yale

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With the clock ticking down and overtime likely, Cornell’s Jake Fiegen found a slight opening at the top of the arc and launched a last-second shot over the outstretched arm of senior forward Nick Townsend.

The senior guard’s triple hit nothing but the bottom of the net, leading the Big Red to a 72-69 upset of first-place Yale Friday night at Newman Arena.

Capping off the hard-fought victory, the boisterous Newman faithful stormed the court, showing their pride in a Cornell team that remains in the hunt for a spot in the Ivy League Tournament taking place on this same court in two weeks.

“We have such a great fanbase. Shoutout to the football team, shoutout to the everyone that was here,” senior guard Cooper Noard told ESPNU’s Derek Jones from courtside. “A super-special group they’ve got here tonight. I’m so proud of our fans, so proud of our team.”

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Cornell men’s basketball routs Brown to get into Ivy League win column

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Feeling a sense of urgency after starting the 2026 Ivy League campaign with three straight losses, the Cornell men’s basketball team dominated on both sides of the ball to cruise to an 89-67 triumph over Brown at the Pizzitola Sports Center Monday.

The Cornell win marks the fifth straight time in the series that the road team came away victorious.

With the Martin Luther King Jr. Day matinee win, the Big Red (8-9, 1-3 Ivy League) moved into a three-way tie for sixth place in league play with the Bears (7-10, 1-3) and Columbia, which was swept by Bruno and Yale over the holiday weekend.

“Starting 0-3 is never ideal, but we know what team we’re capable of being,” senior guard Cooper Noard told ESPN+ after the game. “It doesn’t matter how the other team is guarding us, it just matters that we have the right energy and the right confidence.”

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Cornell men’s basketball appears back on track after scorching second half in Albany win

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The story of this Cornell men’s basketball season begins, as it has each of the past several seasons, at the three-point line. The Big Red lead the nation averaging 14.2 three-point field goals made as of Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Cornell kicked off the month of December with a three-game losing skid in which it conceded 90+ points each game. Only 15 Division I men’s basketball teams are currently allowing more points per outing than the Red. Entering Sunday’s matchup at Albany, the defense had been struggling especially in the second half.

Cornell got the season back on track with an 83-75 victory against the Great Danes, overcoming a mediocre start to do so.

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Cornell men’s basketball sweeps Dartmouth and Harvard to maintain second place in Ivy League race

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Cornell men’s basketball has been known for its offensive prowess over the last several seasons. But it added strong defensive efforts on Friday and Saturday night to defeat Dartmouth and Harvard at Newman Arena.

The Cornell (13-6, 5-1 Ivy) sweep left Jon Jaques’ squad in sole possession of second place in the Ivy League standings, one week before a crucial home game against first-place Yale.

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

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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.

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