DATE & TIME: Friday, March 6th, 7:00 p.m. (et)
FACTS & STATS: Site: Newman Arena (4,473) -- Ithaca, New York. Television: None. Home Record: Penn 3-9, Cornell 11-0. Away Record: Penn 5-7, Cornell 5-8. Neutral Record: Penn 1-0, Cornell 3-1. Conference Record: Penn 5-6, Cornell 9-3. Series Record: Penn leads, 142-69.
GAME NOTES: The Penn Quakers are clearly underdogs in tonight's Ivy League showdown with the Cornell Big Red, who have won their last 19 home games. On Saturday, Penn recorded a 64-54 victory over Brown in Philadelphia. Still, the Quakers are just 9-16 overall and 5-6 in Ivy action, surprising for a team that dominated the league for so many years. That win over Brown halted a three-game losing skid for the Quakers, who have actually played better on the road than at home this season. As for Cornell, it can clinch at least a share of the Ivy League title with a win tonight, and the club would earn the outright championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with a victory and a loss by Princeton to Columbia. If things don't come out in the Big Red's favor tonight, they can also claim the outright title with a win over Princeton tomorrow. Cornell is 19-9 overall, including 9-3 in Ivy action, despite a 71-70 loss at Harvard on Saturday. Penn owns a 142-69 advantage in the all-time series with Cornell, but the Big Red won the first meeting this season by an 88-73 final.
Penn only connected on 38.2 percent of its field goal attempts against Brown on Saturday, including a 7-of-25 effort from three-point range. Fortunately, the Quakers forced 16 turnovers and held the Bears to 37.5 percent shooting. A 15-9 edge in points from the foul line also helped the cause for Penn, which got 14 points from Harrison Gaines off the bench. Kevin Egee tallied 13 points, Rob Belcore added 11 points and Zack Rosen contributed 10 points for the Quakers, who are getting 13.7 ppg from leading scorer Tyler Bernardini. Still, he is shooting just 39.9 percent from the floor and has 10 more turnovers than assists. Gaines checks in with 10.3 ppg for Penn, which is netting 66.8 ppg, while allowing 69.7 ppg.
There are several solid performers in the Cornell lineup, and Ryan Wittman is widely regarded as the best of the bunch. Wittman is scoring 18.5 ppg this season to rank among the Ivy leaders, and he tops the roster with 75 assists as well. Louis Dale, who has dished out 74 assists, provides 13.7 ppg as well, while Jeff Foote checks in with 12.2 ppg and 6.9 rpg. Foote has also blocked 61 shots, more than the rest of the team combined. Cornell is posting 74.2 ppg while limiting opponents to 65.0 ppg on 41.6 percent field goal efficiency. In the heart-breaking loss to Harvard on Saturday, Wittman poured in 24 points. Foote had 12 points in that clash, but the Big Red allowed the Crimson to shoot 52.3 percent from the field.
Cornell will get the job done this evening in front of the home crowd, and the Big Red will also beat Princeton tomorrow to leave no doubt that they are the best team in the Ivy League.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Cornell 71, Penn 62
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