HANOVER, N.H. -- Cornell could never get the offense on track and the Big Green finished with a spurt to split the season series with a 71-59 victory on Friday evening at Leede Arena. Dartmouth (6-15, 3-7 Ivy) closed the game on an 18-4 run to drop Cornell to 13-9 (5-6 Ivy).

Dartmouth scored 49 points in the second half, shooting 63 percent from the floor after hitting on just 32 percent in the first 20 minutes while scoring 22 points. The defensive battle of the first half led to a more wide open second stanza, with Dame Adelekun posting a career high 19 points and eight rebounds for the home team. Taurus Samuels had 12, including a pair of big 3-pointers during the late run, and was matched by Aaryn Rai's 12 points and 10 rebounds. Dartmouth crushed Cornell on the backboards, 37-24, and forced 18 Big Red turnovers.

Nazir Williams had 14 points and four rebounds to lead Cornell, while Dean Noll added 11, Sean Hansen had 10 and Sarju Patel scored nine. The Big Red, who entered the weekend ranked in the top five nationally in assists per game, were credited with just four on 17 field goals. The visitors shot just 40 percent on the night.
 

FIRST HALF

• Dartmouth scored five points in the first 30 seconds and led 7-0 four minutes in before the Big Red came alive.
• Nazir Williams got Cornell rolling with five in a row as part of a 13-0 run that gave the Big Red the lead. 
• Consecutive 3-pointers by Dean Noll and Keller Boothby capped the Big Red run.
• Both teams settled in from there, as the Big Red led by as many as seven (20-13) before heading into the locker room up two (24-22).
• Cornell shot just 37 percent from the field, but its defense held Dartmouth to 32 percent shooting and 1-of-10 from beyond the arc.
• Williams had seven points to lead the Big Red, which turned the ball over nine times in the first 20 minutes.
 

SECOND HALF

• Cornell scored the first bucket of the second half on a Kobe Dickson bucket and stole the inbounds pass, but missed a 3-pointer.
• That gave the home squad some momentum, and a 10-2 Dartmouth run helped the Big Green regain its lead.
• Dartmouth's advantage ballooned to double figures at 42-32 with 13 minutes remaining.
• Cornell quickly cut the deficit to four on a 3-pointer by Williams and another by Hansen to get within 44-40 with 10 to play.
• The Big Red ultimately took  the lead at 55-53 after Patel knocked down a 3-pointer to tie it and Hansen powered in a second chance bucket after having his initial shot blocked.
• It was all Dartmouth from there, as Taurus Samuels knocked down consecutive 3-pointers to go up four as the Big Red didn't score for nearly two and a half minutes.
• The Big Green stretched the lead back to double figures with some late free throws.
 

NEXT UP

• Cornell will head to Harvard trying to protect a half-game lead over the Crimson for fourth in the Ivy League standings when the teams meet on Saturday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. at Lavietes Pavilion.