ITHACA, N.Y. . – Cornell put together a complete team effort for 30 minutes, and when Toledo made its expected run, the Big Red held off the Rockets long enough to snap a two-game skid. Cornell improved to 2-0 at home thanks to an 80-77 victory on Friday afternoon at Newman Arena. The Big Red improved to 2-3, while the Rockets slipped to 3-2.

The Big Red saw a 21-point second half lead knocked down to one in the final minute, but junior Matt Morgan hit a pair of free throws, fouled the Rockets before they could get off a game-tying attempt, then rebounded a missed free throw to run out the clock. Morgan scored 24 points, his fourth straight game over 20, and added four assists and three rebounds while moving up to 17th on the school's career scoring list. Classmate Stone Gettings knocked down a career high five 3-pointers as part of a 21-point, five-rebound, five-assist effort. Josh Warren was the third player in double figures with 11, including a pair of key putbacks on consecutive possessions during Toledo's run, hitting 5-of-6 field goals along the way. Cornell shot 56 percent from the floor and connected on 12 3-pointers in the win. Wil Bathurst ended the night with eight points, four assists and three rebounds.

Nate Navigato had 22 points, Tre'Shaun Fletcher had a double-double with 20 points, 12 rebounds to go along with five assists and Luke Knapke had 13 points. Jaelan Sanford, who entered the game averaging 20 points per game, was held to 10 on 3-of-9 shooting. Toledo shot 44 percent from the floor and turned the ball over just nine times, allowing them to keep pace with the hot-shooting Big Red.

The story of the game wasn't Toledo's comeback, but rather how the Big Red built its lead. Cornell methodically took apart the Rockets defense, shooting 61 percent in the first half and making eight of its first 11 shots after the break in turning a 46-35 halftime lead into a 67-46 advantage with 13:09 remaining. Both Gettings and Morgan hit shot after shot, with both hitting a pair of 3-pointers during the second half run that ended with a Jack Gordon fake, pivot and floater after a baseline drive.

Cornell led much of the first half, ending the first 20 minutes on a 16-5 run over the final 4:38. Six different players scored during the run, including the final four by Wil Bathurst to send the home team into the break with an 11-point lead. The Big Red effort plays were the difference, as Cornell had advantages in points off turnovers (9-4), second chance points (9-2) and points in the paint (22-14) against Toledo.

The Rockets, whose only loss of the season came Wednesday night in a six-point loss at Syracuse, cut a 21-point deficit to eight in the span of just four minutes thanks to eight points from Fletcher, who also assisted on a basket during the 13-0 run by the visitors. Cornell never lost the lead, extending the lead back to 11 with under three minutes remaining, but the Rockets connected on four 3-pointers during a 12-2 spurt that got Toledo back to within one point with 15 seconds left. Morgan was fouled and went to the line with seven seconds remaining and calmly hit both to push the advantage back to three. The junior then smartly fouled Fletcher in the frontcourt before he could hoist a 3-pointer with three seconds left. Fletcher missed the front end of the 1-and-1, Toledo's first miss of the day after 10 consecutive makes to start the game, and the ball was tipped into the backcourt, allowing time to run out.

Notes to Know
• Junior Stone Gettings tied a career high with five 3-point field goals.
• Junior Matt Morgan scored 24 points, his fourth straight game with at least 23.
• Morgan moved from 20th to 17th on the school's career scoring list, ending with 1,128.
• The Big Red's 12 3-pointers were a season high.
• It was Cornell's second straight win over Toledo after losing the first five meetings between the teams.
• The Big Red's .561 shooting percentage was its highest in a single game since closing last season by hitting .588 from the floor in a 92-78 win at Brown.
• Junior Jack Gordon posted a career-high two steals.
• Sophomore Josh Warren hit his first career 3-point shot.

Next Up
• The Big Red will kick off a three-game road trip that will span a two-week exam break when it visits Duquesne on Monday, Nov. 27 at 7 p.m.
• The Dukes have won the only two previous meetings between the programs, including a 70-69 Duquesne victory during the 2003-04 season, the last time the two teams met.