If Saturday’s matchup between Harvard and Cornell is any indication, it looks like first place in the Ivy League is just about locked up.
Prohibitive favorites to win the Ivy League, the Big Red (18-3, 4-0 Ivy) made quick work of a Harvard (14-4, 3-1) team that was predicted to be their most formidable Ivy opponent. An all-around effort proved to be the difference for the Big Red, as they overwhelmed the Crimson 86-50.
Each of Cornell’s starters scored in double figures, with four of them each contributing at least four assists. Headlining the well-balanced attack was center Jeff Foote, who controlled the paint, tallying 16 points, nine rebounds and three blocks.
As for Harvard, all eyes were on Jeremy Lin, who did not disappoint despite the team’s loss. The guard — recently profiled in Sports Illustrated — dropped 19 points on 6-of-9 shooting.
However, Lin also had eight turnovers, perhaps attributable to a swarming defensive effort by the Big Red. Harvard turned the ball over 25 times, 14 of which came off Cornell steals.
The Crimson kept it relatively close in the first half — down just 38-24 at the break — but a 48-point second-half by Cornell put the game well out of reach. Harvard was held to 33 percent from the field on just 18 shots in the final stanza.
Up next for the Big Red will be a matchup against Penn at the Palestra on Feb. 12.
Lions deface Dartmouth
With a stellar offensive performance from sophomore guard Noruwa Agho, Columbia broke a five-game skid Saturday night with a 63-51 victory over Dartmouth.
Agho was crucial to the Lions’ first Ivy win of the season, racking up 25 points and shooting 8-for-12 on the night.
His strong scoring was complimented by senior Niko Scott, who converted four of his six shots from long range. The pair took all but one of the Lions’ shots from beyond the arc, helping the team shoot 61.5 percent from distance.
Even with three players scoring in double digits, the Big Green simply couldn’t respond to the duo’s scoring blitz. Dartmouth’s leading scorer, senior Robby Pride, only managed to score 13 points, shooting 38.5 percent from the field.
The Big Green remained competitive throughout the first half, shooting 41.7 percent compared to Columbia’s 45.0 percent. However after Dartmouth took a 25-21 lead, the Lions continued to nip at the team’s heels and were able to tie it up going into the half.
It was the second half that secured the game for the Lions. Columbia made 16 of its 21 shots from the charity stripe and shot 52.9 percent to close out the game.
Tigers pounce on Bulldogs
Princeton bullied the Elis 58-45 Saturday in New Haven, Conn., in a game that may have heralded who will take third place behind favorites Cornell and Harvard.
The Bulldogs (8-13, 2-2 Ivy) hung in with a powerful Princeton team (11-5, 2-0) that has now won nine of its last ten games.
Yale’s Alex Zampier notched the game at 39 with a jumper ten minutes into the second half. But the Tigers’ stellar defense sent them on a 9-1 run, sealing the deal for Princeton.
Douglas Davis netted a team-high 13 points for the Tigers while the bench put in a solid 23 points for Princeton.
Michael Sands led the Elis with 14 points and six rebounds, followed closely by Zampier, who scored 13.
If Princeton wants to hang with the heavy-hitting Cornell and Harvard teams, the Tigers will have to rely on their standout defense, which held Brown and Yale to a combined 91 points over the weekend.
The road sweep marks the third straight year that the Tigers have opened the Ivy season with a winning weekend.
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