ITHACA, N.Y. -- Dartmouth freshman Evan Boudreaux scored 22 points and 18 rebounds and the Big Green held off a late Big Red rally to avoid a season sweep with a 78-66 victory on Friday evening at Newman Arena. The Big Green improved to 9-14 (3-6 Ivy), while Cornell fell to 9-14 (2-7 Ivy).

Cornell junior Darryl Smith scored a career-high 22 points and added five rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal. Freshman Matt Morgan added 16 points and junior Robert Hatter netted 11. Cornell rallied from a 20-point deficit with 12 minutes to play to get within six two different times in the final minutes, the last time at 68-62 with 1:45 left after a Morgan trey. The Big Green hit all eight free throws over  the game's final 76 seconds to claim the win.

Boudreaux's efforts on the backboards allowed them to outrebound the Big Red 46-32, including 16-8 on the offensive glass. Taylor Johnson added 14 points and Miles Wright ended the night with 13 points and seven rebounds for the visitors. Dartmouth limited Cornell to 25 percent shooting in the first half on its way to a 36-24 lead and didn't slow down early in the second before the Big Red made a run to get back into it, led largely by a personal 12-point run by Smith. The junior made 9-of-13 field goals and 3-of-5 from beyond the arc for the game and scored 17 second half points.

After an even first 10 minutes, Dartmouth embarked on a 9-0 run to take a 25-13 lead and never looked back. The Big Green held Cornell at arm's length, never allowing the Big Red back within nine points the rest of the half.

A 10-3 run out of the locker room allowed the visitors to climb out to a 19-point edge (46-27), a lead that would later extend to 20 just under midway through the half. Cornell, led by Smith, chipped away. Smith hit a jumper, drove to the rim for a layup and hit a 3-pointers. He again drove the paint for a layup and came around a screen to hit a second 3-pointer in the span of two minutes to help cut the 20-point lead in half. Two more 3-pointers, one by JoJo Fallas and a third of the half by Smith helped get Cornell within two possessions. When Matt Morgan hit a pair of free throws for the Big Red after Dartmouth was issued a technical foul on Taylor Johnson, who fouled out, the Big Red retained the ball looking to cut into the lead further. Instead, Cornell turned the ball over and Boudreaux cashed in for a conventional three-point play, fouling out David Onuorah in the process and realistically ending any hope for a comeback.

NOTES TO KNOW
• Darryl Smith's 22 points topped his previous career best of 16 done twice this season, the last time in a win over Lafayette.
• Smith has now scored in double figures 12 times this season after reaching that total just six times combined over his first two years.
• With his 16-point effort, Matt Morgan has scored at least 15 points in 12 consecutive games.
• Morgan upped his scoring total on the year to 412 points, moving him within 24 points of matching Ryan Wittman's school freshman scoring record of 436 points.
• Morgan hit a pair of 3-pointers, giving him 59 for the season. That total is tied for 15th in a season at Cornell.
• JoJo Fallas was credited with a career-high four steals, giving him a career-best season total of 17.
• David Onuorah blocked four shots, giving him 39 for the season and 112 for his career. 
• Morgan was 8-for-8 from the free-throw line, making his 25-of-31 from the charity stripe in two games against Dartmouth.
• With eight 3-pointers made as a team, Cornell has now hit 195 to move it into 10th place in a single season, as did its five blocks to give it 90 on the year.

NEXT UP
• Cornell will look for the season sweep against defending Ivy League champion Harvard on Saturday, Jan. 20 at 6 p.m.
• The game will be broadcast on the Ivy League Digital Network and simulcast on ESPN3.