NORMAL, Ill. -- Senior guard Cooper Noard scored 19 points in front of more than 100 friends and family, but cold-shooting Cornell couldn't overcome a dominant rebounding margin and fell 76-65 to Illinois State on Sunday afternoon at CEFCU Arena. The Big Red slipped to 0-2, while the Redbirds, ranked No. 4 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25, evened their record at 1-1.

The Big Red shot 35 percent from the field and 6-for-31 from beyond the arc after hitting 19 treys on Friday evening at Kent State, but hung close for much of the afternoon thanks to its defense. The Big Red had seven steals and limited Illinois State to 44 percent shooting in the second half, but the home team's 40-22 edge in bench scoring and its 36-24 advantage in paint points were the difference.

Noard added five rebounds Senior Adam Hinton added 12 points and three assists, while junior Kaspar Sepp had 10 points and five rebounds for Cornell. Senior Josh Baldwin chipped in seven points, and DaMaryon Fishburn grabbed three steals off the bench for the Big Red.

Illinois State guard Ty'Reek Coleman led all scorers with 24 points, including 10-for-13 at the free-throw line and 16 points before the break, and Chase Walker added 13 points as the Redbirds closed the game on a 14–4 run.

Cornell jumped out to an early 13–3 lead behind three quick 3-pointers, but the Redbirds responded to take a 34–32 edge at halftime on the strength of a 17-2 run. The Big Red briefly tied the game at 36 in the second half before Illinois State's size and physicality took control, limiting Cornell to just two field goals over a six-minute stretch and methodically stretching out the lead.

Up Next
• Cornell closes out its three-game road trip to kick off the season when it visits Lafayette on Thursday, Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. at the Kirby Sports Center in Easton, Pa.
• The Big Red holds a 15-12 edge in the all-time series and has won four straight, including last season's 81-71 victory in Ithaca.