David McLaughlin

Ivy men’s semifinal: No. 2 Cornell decks No. 3 Dartmouth, 87-71

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The Cornell men’s basketball team walks off the Pizzitola Sports Center floor victorious after an 87-71 win over Dartmouth in Saturday’s Ivy League Tournament semifinal in Providence, R.I. (Ray Curren | Ivy Hoops Online)

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Cornell men’s basketball team can’t really explain what happened in a 39-point loss at Dartmouth exactly one month ago today.

It did know that, presented with a second opportunity, it would not happen again.

Second-seeded Cornell not only gained revenge but booked its place in the Ivy League Tournament final for the first time with an 87-71 win Saturday afternoon at the Pizzitola Sports Center.

“It really started the night before when we lost to Harvard and didn’t play well,” Cornell senior Nazir Williams said. “There were some things that happened that weekend that weren’t good and it showed on the court. We needed to reset and get back to the basketball we knew we could play. We obviously knew we were much better than that, and our coaches helped us understand that, we had a good week of practice, and we were back.”

That loss at Dartmouth, in which the Big Red trailed 21-2 and then 44-18 at the half, was a catalyst for Cornell (18-10), which has played some of its best basketball since, especially on the offensive end. Saturday’s win was its fifth straight and the first one in three that it hasn’t scored 100 points.

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2024-25 IHO Men’s All-Ivy Awards

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The Ivy League announced its major men’s awards Wednesday. But we know this is the moment you’ve all been waiting for: Ivy Hoops Online’s 2024-25 All-Ivy Awards, as determined by IHO’s contributors:

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“We’re not done”: Dartmouth men’s basketball clinches first Ivy tourney berth with 78-58 win over Brown

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Brown and Dartmouth men’s basketball tip off Saturday at Leede Arena for what became a 78-58 win for the Big Green over the Bears. (Ray Curren | Ivy Hoops Online)

HANOVER, N.H. – Dartmouth inadvertently flashed a graphic momentarily before Saturday’s pivotal game against Brown that read, “Ivy Madness Clinched.”.

Fortunately for the Big Green, there has been little to jinx them in the 2024-25 Ivy League season, as they shook off a dreadful start and halftime deficit to win by another lopsided margin, 78-58, and clinch its first Ivy League Tournament berth in school history at Leede Arena.

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Dartmouth men’s basketball gets a winning atmosphere, but Yale gets a 72-67 win

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Yale and Dartmouth men’s basketball tip off at Leede Arena for what became a 72-67 win for the Bulldogs over the Big Green Friday. (Ray Curren | Ivy Hoops Online)

HANOVER, N.H. – Troubles with the Wi-Fi are not new at Leede Arena. It is a notoriously dreadful place to get a signal, even when the crowd can be counted in dozens.

But the line to the restroom that wrapped far outside the door at halftime? That was definitely something that hasn’t been seen in a long, long time.

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Dartmouth men’s basketball momentum mounting after thrashing Cornell, 88-49

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Cornell and Dartmouth tip off at Leede Arena Saturday for what became an 88-49 win for the Big Green over the Big Red. (Ray Curren | Ivy Hoops Online)

HANOVER, N.H. – The hottest men’s basketball team in the Ivy League is Dartmouth.

Any controversy in the above statement lies only because of the school in question. The results speak for themselves, the latest an absolute obliteration of Cornell, 88-49, Saturday night at Leede Arena.

Dartmouth’s fourth straight win (by an average of 22.8 points) vaults them into solo second place in the Ivy League, heights the Big Green haven’t seen in the 21st century (and not too much before that, either). And at the moment Dartmouth looks like the main threat to Yale repeating its conference title in March, a strong statement from a team that hasn’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 1959 and was picked dead last nearly unanimously in the preseason Ivy poll.

But, again, the facts and results speak for themselves. All that’s left is for David McLaughlin to channel Lou Brown and declare, “We’re contenders now.”

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Everything coming up Big Green after Dartmouth men’s basketball’s 78-56 win over Columbia

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 Columbia and Dartmouth tip off at Leede Arena Friday for what became a 78-56 win for the Big Green. (Ray Curren | Ivy Hoops Online)

HANOVER, N.H. – It’s not often that Dartmouth has played the role of the hunted in the Ivy League in the last few decades. But they certainly looked the part Friday night at Leede Arena, beating Columbia in dominant fashion, 78-56.

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Why Dartmouth men’s basketball believes after a 76-56 romp over Harvard

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Harvard and Dartmouth tip off at Leede Arena in Hanover, N.H. in what became a 76-56 win for the Big Green Saturday. (Ray Curren | Ivy Hoops Online)

HANOVER, N.H. – It’s getting to be Ted Lasso time for the Dartmouth men’s basketball team as we reach the midpoint of the 2024-25 Ivy League campaign.

The Big Green believe.

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Yale men’s basketball still has room for improvement after downing Dartmouth

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Dartmouth and Yale tip off at John J. Lee Amphitheater Monday for what became an 83-67 win for the latter over the former. (Ray Curren | Ivy Hoops Online)

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Bez Mbeng was not in the mood for mincing words after setting Yale’s all-time career steals record in an 83-67 win over Dartmouth Monday afternoon.

“I love defense,” Mbeng, who passed former Yale standout Alex Zampier (2006-10) for the record, said.

And as he has for most of the last three seasons for Yale, Mbeng led the way in that department Monday at Lee Amphitheater, harassing Ryan Cornish, Connor Amundsen, or whomever else he was in the neighborhood of, finishing with three steals to go with 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

“It means a lot to me,” Mbeng said. “A lot of credit goes to my teammates and coaches for getting me better and putting me in good positions to get those steals. I’m just really thankful right now.”

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LISTEN: How Princeton men’s basketball nipped Dartmouth, 81-80, in an instant classic

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Ivy Hoops Online correspondent George “Toothless Tiger” Clark recaps an instant classic 81-80 win for Princeton men’s basketball (13-4, 2-0 Ivy) at Dartmouth (7-8, 1-1) Saturday: Audio Player

Dartmouth men’s basketball outlasts Sacred Heart, 81-76

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HANOVER, N.H. – If you think there’s nowhere to go but up for the Dartmouth men’s basketball team this season, you’re probably not alone. The Big Green won only four Division I games last season and were – to be kind – dreadful offensively: 351st nationally in efficiency, last in the Ivy League by a pretty wide margin. And Dusan Neskovic, who was fifth nationally in usage and third in shots taken, is now at Richmond.

The preseason Ivy League poll would agree with you as well. Dartmouth was picked dead last almost unanimously.

But internally, as the Big Green regrouped, it also marked opportunity for them. Outside of Neskovic’s departure, they are not necessarily starting over. And in their Division I opener Saturday afternoon at Leede Arena, with two seniors and two juniors in the starting lineup, they took an early punch from Sacred Heart and came back to win fairly comfortably (with the exception of the final minute), 81-76.

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