Box Score * Box Score
* Postgame Press Conference Video

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- Senior Ryan Wittman scored a career-high 34 points to establish a brand new Cornell scoring record as the Big Red shook off the loss of two starters to knock off La Salle 78-75 on Tuesday afternoon at Tom Gola Arena. The Big Red improved to 10-2 with the victory, while the Explorers slipped to 7-5.



Wittman surpassed former Big Red great John Bajusz, who posted 1,663 points in his four-year career. By the end of the night, Wittman had 1,667 points after connecting on 11-of-21 shots overall and 4-of-9 from 3-point range. He added six rebounds, three assists and two steals in the victory. Senior Jeff Foote and sophomore Chris Wroblewski added 11 points each, with Wroblewski adding six assists. Junior Adam Wire had four points and nine rebounds in the victory, while Mark Coury chipped in five points, three rebounds, a block and a steal in the victory. The team shot 60 percent in the second half and 51 percent for the game.

La Salle had five players hit for double figures with Rodney Green leading the way with 19 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, but also was credited with seven turnovers. Jerrell Williams had 14 points and eight rebounds, Kimmani Barrett notched 13 points, Aaric Murray notched 12 and Yves Mekongo had 10. La Salle had 10 ttoal blocks, with Murray leading the way with four. La Salle shot 57 percent from the floor in the second half and 47 percent overall, but made just 7-of-13 free throws in the loss.

Playing without starters Louis Dale and Alex Tyler, Cornell looked out of sync on both ends of the floor, but only trailed 10-8 five minutes in. The Big Red settled in and forced turnovers on consecutive possessions, capping the first with a trey by Reeves to put the visitors up 13-11 for its first lead of the night. A Foote free throw after the second extended it to 14-11. The teams traded baskets, with the Big Red's Andre Wilkins hitting a 15-footer for his first points of the season to push it back to 16-13.

A Wittman 3-pointer off a great screen by Mark Coury pushed the Big Red's lead to 23-19 with seven minutes left  in the first half. Consecutive baskets by Coury and a conventional three-point play by Wittman with five minutes left pushed Cornell's edge to 30-22. Two free throws by Josh Figini, his first collegiate points, and a buzzer-beating trey by Wroblewski sent the visitors into the break leading 38-27.

The Cornell defense limited La Salle to 37 percent shooting in the first 20 minutes and held a 21-20 advantage on the boards despite having Jeff Foote play just seven minutes due to foul trouble. Wittman had 11 points to lead Cornell offensively.

A 10-0 Explorers run early in the second half, including two run-out dunks and a 3-pointer by Kimmani Barrett cut the Big Red lead to 40-39 less than five minutes into the second half. Cornell picked up the pace again, extending the lead back to nine (52-43), with the last of the run coming courtesy of Wittman. He hit a turnaround jumper in the post, then hit every part of the rim before getting a shooter's bounce in on a 3-pointer with 12:09 left.

The two teams traded baskets and turnovers over the next four minutes, with the Big Red taking a 58-53 lead into the under-eight minute timeout after the Explorers got consecutive 3-pointers from the 6-10 Murray. Five more quick points by Wittman, giving him 26 for the game, gave Cornell a nine point lead at the under-four timeout.

Wittman tied Bajusz's scoring mark after hitting two free throws with under 20 seconds left. La Salle, down just three, tossed up an air ball and Wittman rebounded and was fouled. La Salle cut the deficit to two twice, the last at 74-72 after a trey by Mekongo with 13.6 seconds left, and after running nearly six more seconds off the clock, Wittman was again fouled and went back to the line, hitting both to set a new career high. With a four-point deficit, La Salle's inbounds pass was intercepted by Foote and Cornell went back to the line. Only a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by La Salle's Barrett cut the final Cornell edge to three.

The Big Red returns to action on Thursday, Dec. 31, at 2 p.m. when it closes out the 2009 portion of the schedule with a matchup against Penn State Behrend at Newman Arena in Bartels Hall.