PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- AJ Brodeur flirted with a triple-double, Penn's offense came alive after halftime and the Big Red couldn't keep pace as the Quakers topped Cornell 78-64 on Friday evening at the Palestra. The visitors fell to 6-20 (3-10 Ivy), while Penn improved to 15-11 (7-6 Ivy). The Quakers weren't able to clinch a bid to the Ivy League Tournament due to Brown's 64-55 win over Harvard.
Brodeur had 22 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists to lead four Penn double figure scorers. The senior hit 9-of-12 shots from the floor and connected on a pair of 3-pointers. Max Martz and Jordan Dingle each had 12 points and Ryan Betley scored 11. Penn shot 52 percent from the floor in the second half, assisting on 11 of its 17 baskets and connected on six 3-pointers. The home team also controlled the backboards, 21-13, in the final 20 minutes.
Terrance McBride matched Brodeur's 22 points and added five rebounds in the loss for the Big Red, while both
Kobe Dickson and
Dean Noll notched 11.
Bryan Knapp added eight points and
Jimmy Boeheim had seven with both grabbing four boards. Cornell made 9-of-15 3-pointers (60 percent) on the night but attempted just two free throws. Senior
Josh Warren had seven rebounds and five assists, both team highs.
First Half
• McBride had eight points in the first eight minutes as the Big Red was within 12-11 at the first (and second, 48 seconds later) media timeouts.
• Jimmy Boeheim checked in for first time in five games at the break.
• The first 20 minutes was played in a cycle of Penn taking a lead and Cornell chipping away.
• Cornell knotted the score at 25-25 on a Kobe Dickson layup and knotted the score again at 32-32 when Boeheim made a half-hook in the lane with 41 seconds left.
• Penn answered on the other end with a 3-pointer by Ryan Betley to go into the break up three.
• The Big Red held a halftime edge on the glass (17-14) and shot 48 percent from the floor, including making 5-of-10 from beyond the 3-point arc.
• McBride ended the half 6-of-9 from the floor for 15 points, while Dean Noll had seven points off the bench in eight minutes.
• All eight Penn players that saw action in the first half scored with Betley leading the way with eight points while eight of nine Big Red players secured at least one rebound.
Second Half
• Penn opened up a five-point lead on its first possession, but a Riley Voss trey and a delayed break layup by McBride evened the score at 37-37 just 1:37 into the second half.
• The Quakers then went on a 12-3 run, including consecutive 3-pointers by Brodeur and Martz, and never trailed the rest of the way.
• Consecutive baskets by Dickson and Marcus Filien got Cornell within five (49-44) with 13:29 to play.
• A minute later the Penn lead was up to double figures after consecutive 3-pointers by Betley and Dingle.
• The lead fluctuated between seven and 11 points until the Quakers put the contest away with under three minutes to play on another Dingle trey and a layup by Brodeur to push the advantage to 16.
Up Next
• The Big Red will attempt to complete its first season sweep of Princeton since the 2009-10 campaign when it visits the Tigers on Saturday, March 7 at 6 p.m.
• Cornell will be attempt to snap a nine-game skid at Jadwin Gymnasium after winning five of its previous six against the Tigers in New Jersey.
• The Tigers lead the all-time series 148-82 despite the Big Red's 73-62 victory on Feb. 8 in Ithaca.
