ITHACA, N.Y. — Cooper Noard scored 27 points and hit three pressure shots in the closing seconds of regulation and double overtime to lift Cornell to a 95-94 win over Colgate in a double-overtime thriller Thursday night at Newman Arena. The Big Red improved to 3-2, while the Raiders slipped to 2-4.
Noard buried a contested 3-pointer from the right wing with five seconds left in regulation to tie it at 75-75 and force the first overtime. After the teams traded blows through the extra periods, Colgate took a 94-91 lead on a Kyle Carlesimo fast-break layup with 15 seconds remaining in the second OT, but Adam Hinton answered with a runner in the lane to pull Cornell within one with six seconds left. Following a missed free throw on the other end, Noard was fouled with 2.5 seconds remaining and calmly knocked down the second two free throws to give the Big Red a one-point lead. Colgate's last-second 3-point attempt by Jalen Cox rimmed out at the buzzer, just days after hitting a halfcourt buzzer beater for the win at Siena.
Hinton finished with 15 points, three assists and two steals for Cornell, while Jake Fiegen added 14 points and eight rebounds in a return to the court after missing the first four game of the season due to injury. Kaspar Sepp chipped in 10 points, while Josh Baldwin contributed seven points, five rebounds, three blocks and two steals off the bench. Junior Jacob Beccles had seven points, six rebounds, five assists and just one turnover and was a team-high +14 in his 35 minutes of action. The Big Red shot 44 percent from the field, hit 11 3-pointers and went 24-for-30 at the foul line.
Cox led Colgate with 24 points and six assists, Andrew Alekseyenko had 17 points and six rebounds and Carlesimo scored 15. The Raiders, who led 41-37 at halftime and 75-72 in the final seconds of regulation, shot 39-for-82 from the floor and outscored Cornell 48-38 in the paint but couldn't withstand the Big Red's late-game shot-making as the Big Red claimed its fifth straight win in the series and the 13th consecutive victory against a Patriot League opponent.
The teams traded runs all night in a game defined by rhythm swings and late-game poise. The Big Red opened with pace, getting early buckets from Noard and Sepp, but Colgate responded behind Wright and Cummins to build a 41-37 halftime lead. Cornell surged back after the break with a flurry from Hinton — a dunk in transition, a driving layup and a kick-out assist to Jacob Beccles for 3-pointer to spark a 10-4 stretch that briefly put the Big Red in front. The Raiders countered with timely shot-making of their own, including an Alekseyenko 3-pointer and a Cox go-ahead layup with 12 seconds left, setting up the night's first dramatic moment.
With Cornell trailing 75-72 in the final seconds, Noard rose on the right wing and drilled a contested trey with five seconds left to force overtime. Both teams continued to trade blows in the first extra period — Cox tying it, Noard answering and neither side giving an inch — before a tense second overtime swung back and forth once more. Colgate grabbed a 94-91 lead on a Kyle Carlesimo fast-break finish with 15 seconds remaining, only for Hinton to knife in a runner to keep Cornell alive with six ticks left.
That set up the decisive sequence: after a missed Colgate free throw, Noard was contacted on a deep 3-point attempt with 2.5 seconds remaining and a late whistle sent him to the line for three free throws. After missing the first, he drained the next two to put Cornell ahead by a point. Colgate's final look — a halfcourt 3-pointer from Cox at the horn — bounced off, sealing the most dramatic win of the Big Red's young season.
NEXT UP
• Cornell will complete its three-game home stand when it welcomes Division III foe Misericordia on Wednesday, Nov. 26 at 12 p.m. at Newman Arena.
• The contest will be broadcast on ESPN+ and will lead into a Thanksgiving holiday break.
• It will be the first-ever meeting between the teams on the hardwood.
