Beginning of Ivy Season Marked by Important Matchups

Cornell (9-5, 1-0 Ivy) sits atop the Ivy perch after defeating Columbia (7-9, 0-1 Ivy) 70-64, on Saturday. Cornell sophomore guard Louis Dale had 18 points, five assists, and two steals. Cornell will be leaning on Dale and junior guard Adam Gore, who is returning from a torn ACL (against Northwestern last year), to make a run at the title this season. Gore only played in one game last year. Cornell was a trendy pre-season pick to take the title this year, but they’re not taking anything for granted.

“Right now we know that the league is going to be very competitive, and there are some tough games ahead of us starting with this weekend,” said Cornell junior forward Brian Kreefer. “[Gore] gives us more depth and another shooter on the floor which really helps create opportunities for others,” Kreefer added.

Harvard (6-12, 1-1 Ivy) blew out Dartmouth (7-8, 1-1 Ivy) 82-56, on Jan. 5. Harvard sophomore forward Pat Magnarelli led the team with 17 points. Dartmouth, however, would take revenge when the teams met again on Jan. 11 as the Big Green returned the favor with a 73-56 win. Dartmouth junior forward Alex Barnett earned the Jan. 6-12 Ivy League Player of the Week award for his performance, as he netted 21 points and dished out four assists. Dartmouth’s next Ivy matchups are on the road against Princeton and Penn on Feb. 1-2. Harvard follows a similar schedule that weekend, facing Penn and then Princeton.

Yale (7-8, 1-0 Ivy) defeated Brown (8-7, 0-1 Ivy) in an overtime thriller on Saturday 66-63. Yale forward Ross Morin earned the Jan. 13-19 Ivy League Player of the Week honors by shooting 79 percent from the field en route to a 24-point, seven-rebound performance. Bulldogs guard Travis Pinick led the team in assists with a total of five and contributed a double-double with 11 points and 11 boards in the win. Brown, however, will have a chance to settle the score this Saturday as they host Yale in the rematch.