ITHACA, N.Y. — In the final second, Jake Fiegen sank a decisive three-point shot, leading Cornell to a surprising 72-69 victory over top-ranked Yale on Friday night, thereby staying in the Ivy League playoff pursuit.
Prior to this game, Cornell had been defeated in five consecutive matches against Yale, with their previous triumph dating back to Feb. 23, 2024. This losing streak notably included a crushing 34-point setback against the Bulldogs at an earlier point this season.
Achieving this win, Cornell (13-12) boosted their record to 6-6 in Ivy League play and secured outright the fourth spot in the regular-season standings, with just two contests left. Entry to the Ivy Madness tournament is granted to the leading four squads, and its victor guarantees the conference’s automatic qualification for the NCAA tournament.
Fiegen accumulated 17 points, leading five players for the Big Red who reached double digits in scoring, and also provided eight boards and four helpers. He converted 7 of 12 attempts from the floor, making 3 of 6 from three-point range.
Cooper Noard contributed 16 markers, hitting 6 of 16 shots, alongside six boards. Josh Baldwin hit 4 of 5 field goals (including 3 of 4 from downtown) on his way to a 13-point total.
Collectively, Cornell converted 14 of 35 attempts from beyond the arc, with nine of those successful attempts occurring in the initial half. The Big Red held a lead of up to 14 points before the Bulldogs mounted a comeback, leveling the score at 69 thanks to a layup by Nick Townsend with merely seven seconds left.
“We had poor starts in three of our recent four contests and created a deficit for ourselves that we were forced to overcome,” stated Yale coach James Jones. “While it’s commendable that the players managed to rally and re-enter contention, we must improve our performance at the beginning of every half.”
Cornell prevailed in the contest for rebounds, 31-28, and posted more points than Yale from opportunities on offensive rebounds, 12-3.
Casey Simmons, Isaac Celiscar, and Townsend spearheaded the effort for the Bulldogs (21-5, 9-3), each registering an individual tally of 14 points. This defeat brought an end to Yale’s five-match unbeaten run.
ESPN Research and The Associated Press provided information for this article.