The University of Pennsylvania men’s basketball team faced a tough defeat against Cornell on Friday night at Newman Arena. The Big Red made 15 three-pointers in the first half, leading to a decisive 90-62 victory.
With this loss, Penn’s record drops to 7-18 overall and 3-9 in Ivy League play. Meanwhile, Cornell improves to 15-10 overall and 7-5 in the league, keeping their tournament hopes alive.
Penn managed to secure a season-high of 47 rebounds during the game, surpassing Cornell’s total of 32. Senior Nick Spinoso achieved his second double-double of the season with 17 points and a game-high of 12 rebounds. Sophomore Sam Brown matched for game-high scoring honors with 19 points, continuing his streak of scoring in double digits in every Ivy League match this season. Junior Ethan Roberts also extended his double-digit scoring streak to 18 games with his contribution of 10 points.
Cornell’s strategy was evident from the start as they quickly gained a lead by making four out of their first five shots from beyond the arc. The Big Red maintained control throughout the game, particularly excelling in the final minutes before halftime where they scored an additional 28 points while holding Penn to eight.
In terms of shooting accuracy, Cornell had an impressive performance from three-point range, going 15-of-22 (.682) in the first half alone. In contrast, Penn struggled with their shots, managing only two successful attempts out of twelve from beyond the arc during that period.
Despite reaching their largest lead at one point by being ahead by as much as 43 points (81-38), coach Jon Jaques utilized his bench players towards the end which allowed Penn to narrow down the margin slightly by outscoring them later on.
Looking ahead, Penn is set to travel overnight across New York State for another matchup against Columbia on Saturday evening at six p.m., following Columbia’s recent loss against Princeton.
For updates on Penn men’s basketball activities and performances follow @PennMBB on X (formerly Twitter) or visit their official website at PennAthletics.com.
