EASTON, Pa. -- The Cornell men's basketball team used a big second half to roll past Lafayette 97-78 on Thursday evening at Kirby Sports Center. The Big Red improved to 1-2 and earned the program's 1,350th win in school history, while the Leopards slipped to 1-3. 

Senior Cooper Noard scored 26 points and Cornell erupted for 51 second-half points to lead the visitors, who shot 52 percent overall and connected on 15 3-pointers on the night. Noard made 9-of-15 shots from the floor and connected on five 3-pointers while adding six rebounds. He scored 14 of his points in the first five minutes of the second half as the Big Red extended a six-point halftime lead to 18 in the flash of an eye.

Junior Jacob Beccles added 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting with four assists, while senior Adam Hinton posted 15 points and four assists while going a perfect 6-for-6 at the free-throw line. Junior DaMaryon Fishburn delivered a strong lift off the bench with 11 points and five boards, while Corbin Zentner hit three 3-pointers for nine huge first-half points. Senior Josh Baldwin grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds to help Cornell outrebound the Leopards 44-34. 

Cornell trailed 7-0 less than two minutes into the game, but Fishburn helped spark a first-half surge with nine points before the break. Cornell didn't take its first lead until Hinton hit a pair of free throws with just under eight minutes to play in the half and eventually headed to the locker room with a 46-40 advantage.

From there, Cornell took control. The Big Red shot 57 percent in the second half, racking up transition points, knocking down eight threes and scoring 51 points over the final 20 minutes. Cornell's bench contributed 33 points, while the team assisted on 23 baskets in the win.

Lafayette was led by Caleb Williams, who scored 19 points and went 8-for-8 from the line. Shareef Jackson added 13 points, and Andrew Phillips and Luke Bevilacqua each scored nine for the Leopards. Lafayette shot 44 percent from the field overall, including 39 percent in the second half, and made just 5-of-15 3-pointers.

NEXT UP
• The Big Red opens its home slate when it faces Army West Point on Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 8 p.m. at Newman Arena.
• The contest will be the second game in a doubleheader that will also feature the women's basketball team's opener vs. Colgate.
• The Big Red leads the all-time series with the Black Knights 21-13 and has won 10 consecutive.