ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Cornell men's basketball team ran its non-conference home win streak to 13 and closed its non-league slate with a 10-3 record after defeating Binghamton 86-70 on Thursday evening at Newman Arena. The Big Red shot 52 percent from the floor in remaining unbeaten at home (6-0) in clinching the third-most non-league wins in a season in school history. The Bearcats dropped to 4-9 with the loss.

Nazir Williams hit 8-of-10 shots from the floor, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, to lead five double figure scorers with a career-high 23 points. Chris Manon had 16 points, seven steals, four assists and a pair of monstrous dunks off the bench and was an incredible +30 in 24 minutes of action. Guy Ragland Jr. scored 13 points with four rebounds, Isaiah Gray had 11, including a pair of key 3-pointers in the second half to stem a late Binghamton run, and Sean Hansen netted 10 points with seven boards. Greg Dolan had nine points, two assists and four steals to narrowly miss out on becoming the sixth double figure scorer. 

Cornell collected 16 steals, but was credited with just 12 assists on 30 baskets and attempted 21 shots, making 8-of-21 from beyond the 3-point arc as the Bearcats made 54 percent of its shots on the night - slowing down the Big Red enough to prevent it from getting into its free-flowing offensive game.

Binghamton's Armond Harried had 25 points and eight rebounds after hitting 11-of-19 shots from the floor, with Christian Hinckson posting 16 points and nine rebounds. Miles Gibson scored 12 along with four rebounds. The Bearcats held a 33-26 edge on the backboards, but turned it over 20 times leading to 24 Big Red points. Cornell held a sizable 33-4 edge in bench scoring on the night.

The final tuneup before Ivy play saw Cornell lead by as many as 21 midway through the second half, but the visitors cut the lead to eight with five minutes to play. Gray hit one of the biggest shots of the game for the Big Red when Manon patiently found the junior for a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession to push the advantage back to double figures, and his trey three minutes later provided the dagger, giving Cornell an 83-68 lead with two minutes remaining.
 

First Half

• It was a back-and-fourth first as Harried kept the Bearcats hanging around with 12 points in the game's first eight minutes on a variety of shots as the teams were tied 16-16.
• Harried ended the half with 16 of the team's 36 points.
• Cornell took the lead for good midway through the half on a run-out by Dolan at 22-20. 
• Two minutes later, Dolan canned his only 3-point attempt of the night to push Cornell's advantage to six (28-22) and Binghamton never got within a two-possession game the rest of the way. 
• Six times Binghamton brought the score within six points, but every time the Big Red answered.
• The last time in the second half came after a putback by Hinckson with seven seconds remaining to get the visitors within 42-36.
• Williams drove the court and finished with a diving layup, going into double figures for the 12th time in 13 games this season. 
• Binghamton shot 57 percent in the first haf, including making 16-of-22 shots from inside the arc (.727) to keep the game within striking distance.
• Besides Williams' 11 points, Manon had nine points and three steals and Ragland Jr. notched nine points and four boards.
 

Second Half

• Cornell held Binghamton at bay to start the second half, then launched out on a 9-2 run over a three-minute span to go up 56-42 with 15:43 remaining.
• Another 6-0 spurt than opened with a thunderous dunk by Manon, a tough bucket in the lane by Josh Baldwin and a Manon steal that ended with a Hansen hook shot made it a 68-47 lead with 12 minutes left.
• Binghamton got back in the game with nine consecutive points - five from Dan Petcash - cut it to 11 (71-60) with six to play.
• A minute later, the Bearcats' Falko scored on a driving layup to make it 72-64to set up Gray's first money shot.
• Cornell sealed the win late with steals by Manon (seven) and Dolan (four), with Manon's seventh steal leaving him just one shy of the single-game school record.
• Williams scored 12 points in the second half, making 4-of-5 shots as the home team recorded 10 steals after the break while forcing 12 Binghamton turnovers.

Next Up 

• Cornell kicks off Ivy League play when it visits Dartmouth on Sunday, Jan. 1 at 2 p.m. at Leede Arena in Hanover, N.H.
• The contest will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
• The Big Red leads the all-time series 113-109, though the Big Green has won three of the past four, including the last meeting 71-59 on Feb. 18, 2022 on the road. • Cornell kicks