ITHACA, N.Y. - In the end it was only one game, but Cornell answered some questions in its first 40 minutes of basketball in 2019-20 in picking up an 84-64 season-opening win over Binghamton on Tuesday evening at Newman Arena. 

The Big Red was efficient on offense (52 percent shooting, 20 assists), stingy on defense (41 percent shooting allowed, 10 steals) and team rebounded (38-29 advantage) in winning its second straight against the Bearcats to open a season.

Junior Jimmy Boeheim hit 11-of-19 field goals for a game-high 24 points while chipping in five rebounds, four assists, two steals and a blocked shot in the Big Red's victory. He led four Cornell players in double figures with Josh Warren pumping in 19 with seven assists and six boards, Terrance McBride scoring 15 and Thurston McCarty hitting for 11 along with six rebounds and three blocks. Dean Noll added eight points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals, while both Riley Voss and Jordan Jones matched a team-best with two steals.


 
In all, Cornell shot 56 percent in the first half to take a 45-38 lead, then held the Bearcats to 36 percent shooting after the break to extend its margin to 20 at the final horn. The home team outscored Binghamton 44-24 in the paint and 24-8 off turnovers to pick up its first victory of the season.

Pierre Sarr had 16 points, Richard Caldwell Jr. notched 12 and George Tinsley had 10 to lead the visitors. Last season's leading scorer, Sam Sessoms, was limited to six points on 2-of-10 shooting from the floor.
 

FIRST HALF

• The Big Red got the first basket of the season on its opening possession with a little high-low action, with Warren feeding Boeheim for a layup 18 seconds into the contest.
• The teams traded the lead until a Jordan Jones steal led to a pass-ahead to Boeheim, who canned a 3-pointer to give the Big Red an 11-8 lead five minutes into the game.
• Cornell never again trailed, using a 10-0 run to turn a one-point deficit into a nine-point advantage.
• The visitors clawed within two points on the second of two made free throws by Javon Brown (33-31) entering the final media timeout of the half, but Cornell answered with eight consecutive out of the break to go back up double figures.
• Boeheim reversed the play that opened the game, hitting Warren on a feed down low for a dunk to make it 45-35 with 30 seconds remaining before halftime.
• A three-point play with under 10 seconds left by Tinsley sent the Big Red into the break with a 45-38 edge.
• Boeheim had 16 first half points and Warren had 11 as Cornell connected on 56 percent of its shots in the first 20 minutes.
• Cornell turned the ball over just three times with 11 assists on its 18 baskets.
 

SECOND HALF

• The Bearcats scored the first bucket of the second half to get within five, but a 9-0 run by the Big Red on the strength of four different scorers pushed the Big Red bulge to 14 (54-40) on a teardrop floater by Noll with six minutes gone.
• That lead methodically rose to 18 with 11 minutes remaining when a Jordan Jones steal led to a run-out layup to make it 63-45.
• Boeheim had a pair of thunderous dunks, the first of his collegiate career, over the final eight minutes as Binghamton could get no closer than 13.
• Cornell's defense held the Bearcats to 36 percent shooting after the break, including 4-of-13 (31 percent) from beyond the arc.
 

NEXT UP

• Cornell returns to action when it heads to Bryant for its first road game of the 2019-20 season, tipping off on Sunday, Nov. 10 at 1 p.m. in Smithfield, R.I.
• The Big Red then returns home for a single game against NJIT on Wednesday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. at Newman Arena in Bartels Hall.