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M Hoops v Cornell 1 Jeff Foote Credit: Michelle Bigony

Following a three-point loss to Cornell earlier this season, Princeton entered its second matchup with the Big Red looking to flip the script and put itself in serious contention for the Ivy League title.

The only problem? The script didn’t change at all.

In an eerily similar result, the Tigers were defeated yet again by three points Friday night, this time in a 50-47 loss in Ithaca, N.Y.

After a dunk by Big Red center Jeff Foote, Cornell (25-4, 11-1 Ivy) jumped out to a 16-7 lead. However, the Tigers (17-8, 8-3), lifted by forward Kareem Maddox’s nine points off the bench, were able to close the gap to within two at the half, 26-24.

The second half wasn’t exactly an offensive showcase, when the two best defensive teams in the Ivy League found themselves engaged in a grind-it-out game.

The Big Red protected a two-point halftime lead by shooting just 4-for-17 in the final stanza.

The Tigers did not do themselves any favors either, making just eight of their 22 attempts from the field.

In the end, it was Cornell’s superior shooting at the line that allowed the team to pull out the win. The Big Red shot 15-for-17 from the charity stripe in the second half, while Princeton went just 4-for-8.

A win would have tied the two teams in the loss column and put the Tigers just one win away from a share of the Ivy title.

Instead, Princeton now finds itself on the outside looking in. The Tigers currently sit 2.5 games behind Cornell and half a game behind second-place Harvard (20-6, 9-3).

Hitting the books, pounding the hardwood.

Two Ivy players are making the grade both on and off the court.

Columbia guard Patrick Foley and Brown forward Matthew Mullery were recently named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America teams.

While it may not sound surprising to have two Ivy Leaguers commended for their academic work, Foley is the first representative of the Ancient Eight to earn a spot on the first-team since 2007. He was also the first Columbia player to receive the honor.

The 6-foot-2 senior joins the likes of Kansas’ Cole Aldrich, Notre Dame’s Tim Abromaitis, Butler’s Matt Howard and La Salle’s Yves Mekongo on the first squad.

Meanwhile, Mullery was a third-team selection.

The honor is as much a recognition of the players’ academic work as their prowess on the court.

Though Foley has battled injuries this season, he remains the Lions’ second-leading scorer, averaging 9.1 points per game.

Mullery, meanwhile, averages 15.2 points and 6.3 rebounds for Brown, both team-highs. He also leads the Bears in field-goal percentage and blocked shots.

In a win over Penn Feb. 19, Mullery notched a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds, also adding three blocks.

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