ITHACA, N.Y. -- Junior Robert Hatter scored 28 of his game-high 32 points in the second half as the Big Red erased a 14-point deficit to knock off Siena 81-80 on Tuesday evening at Newman Arena. The win improved the Big Red to 4-4, while the Saints had their four-game win streak snapped in falling to 4-3.

Hatter had five points in the final minute, including the game-tying 3-pointer with 53 seconds left and the go-ahead free throw 25 seconds later. The Big Red trailed by 14 two minutes into the second half, 10 with 9:26 to play and six with 2:20 left, but rallied each time despite watching Siena make shot after shot. The Saints hit 6-of-8 3-pointers in the second half to continually deflate the Big Red defense, but Hatter answered the bell each time.

The junior hit 10-of-20 shots from the floor, including all four 3-pointers, and connected on 8-of-11 free throws to go along with six assists, three rebounds and three steals, including one on Siena's last possession that allowed classmate Darryl Smith to get fouled and nail a pair of free throws to salt the game away. Ryan Oliver hit a 3-pointer as time expired to make for the final margin.

Freshman Matt Morgan had 14 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals, while Darryl Smith had 12 points, two rebounds and two steals. Junior David Onuorah was a force down low with nine points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots in the win. Cornell scored 50 points after halftime, hit 10-of-22 3-pointers and turned the ball over just twice after the break to rally for the win.

Siena's Brett Bisping had 16 points and 18 rebounds and Marquis Wright had 19 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals, but both fouled out in the final minute. Their loss took two of the primary scorers for Siena out of the game for the game's critical final two possessions. The Saints also got 17 points from Javion Ogunyemi, 13 points off the bench from Ryan Oliver and 11 points, six assists and five rebounds from Lavon Long. The Saints connected on 8-of-16 3-pointers, including the 6-of-8 performance in the second half.

Hatter scored 19 of his 32 points in the game's final 10 minutes, but was far from the only hero. Jordan Abdur-Ra'oof canned a huge corner 3-pointer with just over two minutes to go to cut a six-point deficit in half, then Darryl Smith got it back to three after Bisping scored down low for the Saints. After an offensive foul on Wright sent the Saints' guard to the bench with five fouls, Hatter used a screen to his right, rose up and nailed the tying 3-pointer with 53 seconds left. Abdur-Ra'oof, who moments earlier hit a big 3-pointer, came in for a weakside blocked shot of Bisping that bounced back to the visitor, but Ryan Oliver's 3-pointer was long and Bisping fouled Hatter, who was blocking out the big man, for his fifth of the game. Hatter hit the second of the two free throws to take the lead at 78-77. Siena took a timeout, and Nico Clareth got the call, but his 15-footer rimmed out and Hatter rebounded the basketball and was fouled. He hit the first, but missed the second to make it a two-point game, but got his hands on the ball as Kenny Wormley went to the basket, allowing Smith to corral the loose ball with four seconds left. Smith was fouled and nailed both charity shots to make it a four-point game. The Saints connected on the last second trey, but it fell just a shot too late.

The exciting ending wasn't what may have been expected after a sloppy first half that saw 19 combined turnovers and 21 fouls as Siena took a 37-31 lead. That ballooned to 14 early in the second half as the Saints started the second 20 minutes on an 8-0 run, but the Big Red slowly chipped away before eventually passing the Saints in the final minute.

Turning Point
• Trailing 60-50 with 9:26 left after Lavon Long's 3-pointer fell, the Big Red started mounting the comeback.
• The rally started innocently enough, as Matt Morgan was fouled on a 3-point attempt and connected on all three.
• Hatter converted a three-point play, then drove the lane for a free throw and hit a 3-pointer.
• Wil Bathurst got trapped under the basket, but had the presence of mind to find David Onuorah underneath for a layup to make it a five-point game.
• A minute later, Hatter hit a 3-pointer, then hit a pair of free throws on consecutive possessions to get within 71-69 with 3:12 remaining to set up the ending.

Notes To Know
• Junior Robert Hatter's 32 points is one shy of a career high set earlier this season in an overtime win at Colgate.
• Hatter now has 39 assists in eight games, more than double the 19 he had last season in 28 contests.
• Hatter now has three career 30-point games, including two this season.
• David Onuorah's three blocks give his 89 for his career, moving him within eight of sixth place on the school's career list.
• WIth his 3-of-3 effort from the field, Onuorah has now hit on 50 percent of his field goals in 7-of-8 games.
• The Big Red hit 10 3-pointers, its second straight contest with double digits and the fifth time in eight games it has hit that milestone.
• The Cornell bench made just 4-of-18 shots from the floor.
• Freshman Matt Morgan registered a career high four assists for the second straight game.
The Big Red has now scored 76 points or more in regulation in six of eight games this season after only reaching the mark once a year ago, including zero times against Division I teams.
Cornell is now 3-0 at home to start a season for the second straight year.

Hidden In The Box Score
• Sophomore Jordan Abdur-Ra'oof may have had just three points, two rebounds and a blocked shot in 12 minutes, but his 3-pointer with 2:06 to play and blocked shot in the final minute were two of the game's key plays.
• Darryl Smith had 12 points, his fourth double figure scoring game in the last seven contests with two more of those games ending with eight points.
• Smith is shooting 60 percent from the floor (26-of-43) for the season.
• Freshman Stone Getting's lone basket was a key 3-pointer early in the second half that helped stem the Siena run to open the second half.
• Cornell scored 50 points in the second half, the first time hitting 50 points in a half since putting up 54 last January against Alfred State.  

Next Up
• The Big Red will welcome defending Patriot League champion Lafayette on Saturday, Dec. 5 at 2 p.m. at Newman Arena.
• Cornell will take a two week break for final exams before visiting Syracuse on Saturday, Dec. 19 at noon at the Carrier Dome.
• The Big Red returns home on Wednesday, Dec. 23 when Monmouth comes to Newman Arena for a 6 p.m. tip-off.