NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Six players scored in double figures and the Cornell men's basketball team earned its 22nd win of the season with a 98-76 win over Columbia on Saturday afternoon at Levien Gymnasium. The Big Red finished the regular season at 22-6 (11-3 Ivy), while the Lions ended their season at 13-14 (4-10 Ivy). Cornell finished in second place in the Ivy League stadings with its 11-3 record, tied with Yale and a game back of Princeton. 

Cornell shot 55 percent from the floor, hit 14 3-pointers and assisted on 28 baskets.in a complete team effort. Sophomore Cooper Noard scored 17 points and hit five 3-pointers, while junior Guy Ragland Jr. notched 13 points, 11 rebounds and three assists to post his fourth career double-double. Junior Nazir WIlliams scored 14 points with six boards and senior Sean Hansen, playing his final regular season game, connected on all six of his shots for 14 points while grabbing seven boards. The Big Red held a 37-30 edge on the glass. Rounding out the double figure scorers were Chris Manon (10 points, three rebounds, three assists) and AK Okereke (11 points, three assists). Freshmen Jacob Beccles and Jake Fiegen each had six points. 

Zavian McLean posted 17 points to go along with five rebounds to pace the Lions, with both Blair Thompson and Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa posting 15 points apiece. Kenny Noland rounded out four double figure scorers with 10. The Lions shot 46 percent from the floor, though hit on just 39 percent after the break. Columbia was credited with 25 team assists in the loss.



Columbia scored the game's first basket, but the Big Red scored the next six and never again trailed. Cornell ultimately went up seven at 19-12 after Fiegen hit a pair of triples and Keller Boothby knocked one down as well on consecutive possessions. The Lions clawed back within one at 27-26 and again at 42-41 late in the half, but both times Cornell answered with five straight, with Nazir Williams scoring twice in the final 39 seconds to put Cornell up 49-43 at the break.

The visitors hit eight first-half treys and shot 56 percent, but the Lions weren't far off with 52 percent shooting and a 24-20 edge in points in the paint. McLean (13 points) and Thompson (11 points) combined for 24, but Cornell's balance kept the Big Red in front. In all, nine different players scored, five hit at least one 3-pointer and eight assisted on at least one basket.

After Columbia scored the first basket of the second half, Cornell turned up the defense. The Big Red used a quick 9-3 spurt to push the lead to double figures, then after the home team got back within six (63-57), it went on an extended 22-5 run to blow the game open. Over than span, the visitors made 9-of-10 shots and held Columbia to 1-of-5 shooting with three turnovers. Cornell cleared the bench with just under two minutes remaining and never saw the lead dip below 22.

NEXT UP
• Cornell returns to New York City and Columbia for the Ivy League Tournament on Saturday, March 16 at Levien Gymnasium against Yale at 2 p.m. on ESPNews.
• The first semifinal featuring top-seeded Princeton and No. 4 Brown will will be broadcast live on ESPNU at 11 a.m.
• It will be Cornell's fourth appearance and third consecutive in the Ivy Tournament, with the Big Red looking for its first win.