Box Score Box Score

NEW YORK, N.Y. -- The Cornell defense limited Columbia to 23 percent shooting and led from wire to wire in sweeping the season series against its travel partner, topping the Lions 77-51 on Saturday evening at a super-charged Levien Gymnasium. The Big Red improved to 16-3 (2-0 Ivy) with the victory, while Columbia slipped to 6-10 (0-2 Ivy) with the loss.

Senior Louis Dale had 16 points, dished off eight assists, grabbed four rebounds and stole two passes to lead the Big Red, while Ryan Wittman had 11 points and eight boards. Senior Geoff Reeves posted 13 efficient points in 20 minutes and Jeff Foote notched eight points and five rebounds. Jon Jaques had a game-high three steals as Cornell posted 11 takeaways. The Big Red assisted on 17 baskets and made 47 percent of its shots, incuding 52 percent after the break.

Niko Scott had 10 points, while leading scorer Noruwa Agho posted eight points, ut made just 2-of-12 from the floor. Asenso Ampim also had eight points on just 1-of-4 shooting. Zack Crimmins notched six points and six rebounds in just 13 minutes of action. Columbia had 16 offensive rebounds and stayed close on the boards (Cornell led 43-38).

Cornell jumped out to a quick 7-2 lead and never looked back, taking the advantage to more than 20 points in the second half and keeping the crowd largely out of the game. The Big Red pushed the lead to 15 on a thunderous fastbreak dunk by Dale, who was fouled by Columbia's seven-footer, Crimmins, to make it 31-16. A Wittman trey, his third of the first half, extended the lead to 35-19, but it would be the second half that separated the teams even more.

The defense continued to be dominant, limiting the Lions to 20 percent shooting in the first half and holding Columbia to just a 3-pointer on a broken play in the first five minutes of the second half as it extended a 14-point halftime edge. The Big Red didn't relent, extending the advantage to 27 (57-30) with 11 minutes to play as part of a 3-point barrage that included treys by Reeves and Wroblewski as part of a 20-7 run to open the half. The Lions never got within 21 points the rest of the way.

The Big Red will have its first full weekend of Ivy League play beginning on Friday, Jan. 29, when the two-tiume defending Ancient Eight champs meet Dartmouth at 7 p.m. at Newman Arena in Bartels Hall.