Box Score Box Score

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Cornell surrendered a 19-point second half lead, but was able to make plays when it counted and extended its home win streak to 19 games with a hard-fought 79-76 win over Dartmouth in double overtime on Saturday evening at Newman Arena. The Big Red improved to 17-7 overall (7-1 Ivy), while the Big Green dropped to 6-16 (4-4 Ivy) with the loss.

The Big Red 18 points, seven rebounds and three steals from reigning Ivy League Player of the Year Louis Dale, while Geoff Reeves added 15 points, Ryan Wittman notched 14 and Jeff Foote had 11 points, a game-high nine rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots in the victory. The Big Red connected on 14-of-16 shots from the free-throw line in the two overtime sessions, and despite hitting just two field goals in the 10 minutes, were able to escape with the win over a tough Big Green squad.

Freshman Chris Wroblewski had nine points and three steals, but it was his two free throws that put the home team ahead for good in the second extra period that proved to be his biggest contribution to the win. The rookie then had steals on consecutive possessions leading to a short turnaround jumper by Foote in the lane with 1:02 left to give the Big Red a 77-73 lead. After a pair of Dartmouth misses, Reeves was fouled and calmly put the game away with his two free throws. A desperation trey by Jabari Trotter at the buzzer cut the final deficit in half.

All-Ivy candidate Alex Barnett had a game-high 22 points and made big shot after big shot in the final five minutes and in overtime, but ended the night 10-of-27 shooting. He pitched in six rebounds, two assists and two steals. Also in double figures was Ronnie Dixon (14 on 6-of-8 shooting) and Elgin Fitzgerald (12) off the bench, as well as freshman David Rufful, who sent the game into the second extra session with two seconds left.

Cornell limited Dartmouth to 41 percent shooting on the night and held a small rebounding margin (41-40), but the visitors used a 15-0 run in the second half to silence a Newman Arena crowd of more than 4,100 on Valentine's Day. The game was the first multiple overtime game since dropping a 76-68 double overtime decision to Princeton at Newman Arena on Feb. 17, 2006.

Despite an uneven first half, Cornell went into the break with an 11-point lead in tow (34-23) in holding the visitors to 29 percent shooting and posting a commanding 22-14 edge on the backboards. Wittman had seven points to lead Cornell, while Barnett chipped in with eight. But it was the second half that saw the Big Red put the game away, only to see Dartmouth almost snatch it back.

Barnett's quick jumper 11 seconds into the second half would foreshadow what would come soon enough, but the Big Red launced a 14-4 run highlighted by consecutive treys by Wittman and Wroblewski, followed by five straight points from Dale to give Cornell a 48-29 advantage.

From there, Dartmouth came alive.

It started innocently when Rufful answered a Dale trey with one of his own, cutting the deficit to 48-32. That ignited a 15-0 run that saw the lead shrink from 19 to four in the span of 5:13. A three-point play by Ronnie Dixon was followed by four quick points by Elgin Fitzgerald. Another jumper by Fitzgerald made it 48-44 with 9:42 left, Cornell's Wittman brought the crowd back to life with a jumper on a feed from Foote, but Dartmouth again answered as Dixon rose up and nailed a 3-pointer to make it a three-point game.

The teams traded baskets until Fitzgerald hit three of four free throws on consecutive possessions with under two minutes left in regulation to get the visitors within two at 61-59. Dartmouth got the ball back after a defensive stop, and Barnett was up to the challenge, hitting a leaning runner with 35 seconds left to knot the game for the first time since 11-11. The Big Red got a great look at the top of the key for Wittman, but the junior's trey attempt rimmed out and the teams went back to the benches for overtime tied at 61-61.

The teams traded baskets in the first overtime, as no one led by more than two points. It looked as though the Big Red had the win when Foote found a cutting Reeves off an inbounds play for a thunderous dunk with 16 seconds left, but Dartmouth was able to regroup once again. Barnett missed a short jumper, but Kurt Graeber cleaned up the mess and found Rufful, who hit a running jumper from 10 feet to knot the score with two ticks left. The Big Red was able to inbound the ball to Dale, but the junior couldn't get a shot off and the teams headed for a second overtime, this time knotted at 71-71.

The decisive extra session turned into the Wroblewski show. After Dale hit two free throws to open the session, Barnett answered with another of his patented off-balance jumpers to tie the game for the ninth time. After the teams traded defensive stops, Wroblewski rebounded a Barnett miss and was fouled dribbling out of traffic with 2:21 left. He calmly sank both shots to give Cornell a 75-73 edge. The freshman then picked Kirk Crecco and David Rufful's pockets in a span of 23 seconds, giving Cornell extra possessions. The second ended with Foote hitting a jumper over a Dartmouth defender to give the home team a four-point edge. After a pair of misses for Dartmouth, Reeves was fouled going for a rebound and connected on his two shots to seal the win with 17 seconds left.

Cornell will start a four-game road swing when it visits Yale on Friday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. in New Haven, Conn. The Big Red won the first meeting between the teams 64-36 on Jan. 31 at Newman Arena.