Pizzitola Sports Center

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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2025 Ivy Madness fields are set

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The field is set for Ivy Madness.

Penn finished with a higher NCAA NET ranking (No. 162) than Brown (No. 184), the Ivy League confirmed Sunday morning, making the Quakers the fourth and final team to clinch an Ivy League Tournament berth with the Bears on the outside looking into the tourney to be held on their home floor at the Pizzitola Sports Center.

The full women’s and men’s slate for the Ivy League Tournaments are below, with automatic bids going to the tourney winners:

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“It evens out”: Cornell men’s basketball has momentum after flipping late-game script at Brown

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Cornell and Brown men’s basketball tip off at the Pizzitola Sports Center Saturday for what became an 85-81 win for Cornell over Brown. (Ray Curren | Ivy Hoops Online)

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – After Friday night’s tough loss at Yale, Cornell first-year head coach Jon Jaques lamented that if a break or two had gone his team’s way down the stretch, the final result might have been different.

Sure enough, less than 24 hours later, in an even bigger spot for the Big Red at a Brown team they were tied with in the Ivy League standings, there they were in the closing minutes with the game in the balance.

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Cornell men’s basketball beats Brown, 85-81, to move into third place

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Brown basketball fans got to see two thrillers at the Pizzitola Sports Center on Saturday. Unfortunately for them, the Bears went down to crushing defeats in both contests.

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

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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.

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Yale men’s basketball falls at Rhode Island, 84-78

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No one ever accused Yale men’s basketball coach James Jones of playing an easy out-of-conference schedule.

Yale traveled to Kingston, R.I. to take on the 7-0 Rhode Island Rams Monday night.

Rhody won 84-78 to start the season 8-0 for the first time since the 1946-47 season.

Jones called it “a tough loss on the road.”

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Brown men’s basketball looking to gel more after College Hill Classic

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There’s room for more years to add to Brown’s Ivy League title banner at the Pizzitola Sports Center. (Ray Curren)

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The brown banner at the Pizzitola Sports Center sits ominously among a slew of white ones and reads “Men’s Basketball Ivy League Champions.”

Below that sits a lone number: 1986 — with plenty of space for a companion or two.

It almost read 2024, of course. We don’t have to rehash what happened last March in New York on this site, but Brown had earned its first NCAA Tournament in 38 years by upsetting Yale and Princeton. Until it hadn’t.

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Brown women’s basketball comes back to take crucial game from Penn in 61-59 win

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In case you had any doubts, it turns out the Brown women’s basketball team is for real. And Kyla Jones is one of the biggest reasons.

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Yale men’s basketball bests Brown in Ivy League opener, 80-70

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Yale men’s basketball owns Brown.

The Bulldogs have now won 10 out of their last 11 games against the Bears under coach James Jones, whose team won another road contest in the series Tuesday night, 80-70. Brown never led.

“Great way to start league play,” Jones said. “Always tough to win on the road, especially with our travel partner. The team is starting to come together. We’re close to playing Bulldog basketball.”

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Brown men’s basketball’s second-half comeback yields 71-67 victory over Siena

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Junior guard Kino Lilly Jr. delivered 26 points and five assists in Brown’s 71-67 win over Siena Friday. IBrown Athletics)

Brown junior guard Kino Lilly Jr. tallied 11 straight points, including his first two three-pointers of the game, to complete the Bears’ 18-point comeback over Siena at the Pizzitola Sports Center Friday afternoon in a 71-67 win.

Following a 12-day break for final exams, Bruno (4-9) came out flat in the first half and found itself down 38-23 at the half.

“They (Siena) played with way more energy than we did,” Brown head coach Mike Martin remarked to ESPN+ at halftime. “They were more excited to be here, and that should never be the case. Unacceptable on our end.”

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