ALBANY, N.Y. -- Cornell placed four players in double figures, but Albany dominated the backboards and controlled the paint to claim a 69-59 victory over the Big Red on Monday evening at SEFCU Arena. Cornell slipped to 3-11 on the season, while the Great Danes improved to 9-6.

Playing without leading scorer Matt Morgan, the Big Red found balance in the offense with four players reaching double figures, but the Great Danes had a 43-24 advantage on the glass and outscored the visitors 42-24 in the paint. The home team scored the game's first basket 12 seconds in and never trailed, though the Big Red cut a 12-point deficit to just two with under four minutes to play before Albany ended the contest on a 9-1 run.

Senior Darryl Smith scored 13 points, sophomore Troy Whiteside and senior Robert Hatter scored 12 apiece and sophomore Stone Gettings had 10. Whiteside added a team-high six rebounds and Gettings chipped in five assists and four rebounds in the loss. The Big Red shot 45 percent as a team and connected on 10 3-pointers on the night, but it was not enough to neutralize Albany's size advantage.

David Nichols led Albany with 16 points and five assists, while Travis Charles hit 7-of-10 shots for 14 points to go along with six rebounds. High rebounder went to Joe Cremo with nine to go along with 11 points and three assists. As a team, Albany scored 17 second chance points to Cornell's zero.

KEY STRETCH:
• Senior Robert Hatter's 3-pointer got a friendly roll to cut a once 12-point deficit to two (60-58) with 3:54 remaining.
• From there, Albany scored on four straight possessions to go up nine.
• David Nichols scored four straight from the free throw line and assisted on a Travis Charles basket.

NOTES TO KNOW:
• The Big Red has had at least three double figure scorers in 12 of the season's first 14 contests.
• Cornell hit 10 3-pointers, its 786th straight game with at least one made 3-point field goal.
• After shooting .423 from the field over his first two seasons (83-of-196), Darryl Smith is shooting .630 (116-of-184) over the last two years.
• Sophomore Troy Whiteside is shooting .698 (30-of-43) from the floor over his last six games, averaging 9.5 points over that span.
• With his two 3-point field goals made, senior Robert Hatter moved into 15th on the school's career list (126) and needs 19 more to join the top 10.
• Cornell played without the Ivy League's leading scorer in Matt Morgan (18.7 ppg.).

NEXT UP:
• Cornell closes out non-conference play when Fisher College visits Newman Arena on Sunday, Jan. 8 at 2 p.m.
• It will be the first-ever meeting between the Big Red and the NAIA Falcons, who are 7-5 on the season with a 78-51 loss at Harvard during the first semester.