Box Score Box Score

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Junior Ryan Wittman broke the Cornell career record for 3-pointers (240) and the Big Red set a single-game record for assists (31) in a 96-75 win over Harvard on Friday evening at Newman Arena. The win extended Cornell's home win streak to 18 games, and along with Yale's win over Princeton, put the Big Red (16-7, 6-1 Ivy)  back into first place in the Ancient Eight by percentage points. Harvard dropped to 10-11 (2-5 Ivy) with the loss.

Wittman scored 20 points and added six assists and four rebounds, but it was his 4-of-7 effort from 3-point range that set a new Cornell mark. Entering the game with 236, he hit two in the first half to surpass Cody Toppert '05 atop the list and ended his evening with 240. The Big Red also assisted on 31-of-39 baskets, surpassing the previous school record of 25.

Besides Wittman's 20 points, freshman Chris Wroblewski (17 points, seven assists) set career bests in scoring and assists, while sophomore Adam Wire (14 points, four assists, four steals) also had career-best scoring and assist totals. Louis Dale chipped in with 12 points and Jeff Foote notched 10 for the Big Red, which shot 62 percent from the floor. Brian Kreefer had eight points and Alex Tyler notched six points and three blocked shots.

Cornell shot better than 60 percent in both halves, including 63 percent after halftime. The Big Red's 31 assist to 10 turnover ratio led to open shot after open shot, and the home team delivered at a 52 percent clip from 3-point range (11-of-21) and an astounding 67 percent from inside the arc (28-of-42). Cornell also held advantages in rebounding (26-22), steals (9-3) and blocked shots (5-3).

Harvard was led by 16 points and six assists by Drew Housman and 14 points by Max Kenyi. Leading scorer Jeremy Lin had 11 points, but turned the ball over eight times without being credited with an assist.

Cornell opened the game with five quick points by Wittman, including the 3-pointer that tied the school's career mark just 43 seconds in. The game's first basket was an omen for the evening, as Geoff Reeves found a cutting Wittman for a beautiful layup in the lane. The Crimson quickly tied the game and then took its first and only lead of the contest when Housman canned a trey with 16:15 left in the first half to make it 9-7. That triggered a 19-1 run over the next 3:56, with Kreefer on the receiving end of three easy layups underneath, while Wittman hit the record setting trey at the 14:10 mark on a feed from Wroblewski. The 16-point lead morphed into a 20-point bulge (34-14) as a Wittman jumper closed what amounted to a 27-5 overall spurt.

Harvard got within 13 points on two occasions in the final five minutes, but each time Cornell responded, first with a pair of Wire free throws, and the second time on a dagger 3-pointer by Wroblewski, who hit 5-of-6 from beyond the arc. A Jeff Foote offensive putback as time expired sent the home team into the locker room with a 51-35 edge.

Seven different players had at least five points to lead a balanced Big Red offensive attack. Cornell assisted on 17 of the team's 22 baskets led by Wittman's four helpers and three each by Dale, Reeves and Wroblewski. Cornel lwas so efficient that it didn't need the reigning Ivy League Player of the Year who had two early fouls and played just eight minutes in the first half.

The Crimson came out of the gates ready to go after halftime and scored the first 10 points in 3:26 to get back within six (51-45), but Dale answered by knifing through the defense for a layup, followed by Wittman finding Foote underneath for a thunderous dunk. A Foote blocked shot, one of two on the night, turned into a layup on the other end for Wire and the lead was back to 12 with 14:37 left. The lead wouldn't get below 10 again, and an 11-2 run midway through the half turned a 13-point lead into an insurmountable advantage with over six minutes to play. A late 3-pointer by Adam Gore and a bucket by fellow senior Jason Battle late punctuated the team's second 90-point effort at home this year.

The Big Red returns to action on Saturday at 7 p.m. when it meets Dartmouth at Newman Arena.