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Second Half Comeback Falls Short against Cornell

Second Half Comeback Falls Short against Cornell

CHICAGO, Ill.- The Illinois Institute of Technology men's basketball team hosted Cornell College on Tuesday afternoon, falling 68-62.

How it Happened

  • Cornell clamped down defensivley early and held the Scarlet Hawks offense down to one of its worst stretches of the season. Tech was just 7-of-28 (25%) from the floor over the first 20 minutes as Cornell led by as many as 15.
  • To end the first half, Cornell's Corey Davis made a contested lay-up as time expired to give the Rams a 34-19 cushion.
  • Things improved for Illinois Tech in the second half, as after playing the Rams even early, the Scarlet Hawks cut the lead to single digits after back-to-back three-pointers from Parker Joncus
  • Joncus' threes were a part of a 13-0 run, which was capped off by two Jake Digiorgio free throws to cut the lead from 38-34. 
  • Cornell tried to pull away, but the Scarlet Hawks reeled them back in. Jake Bruns hit a pair of three-pointers to tie things at 50-50 with just under nine minutes to play. 
  • A Craig Engle three-pointer at 6:37 put Cornell ahead for good at 55-52. The Rams protected the lead the rest of the way despite the Scarlet Hawks pulling to within two with 1:40 remaining.

Scarlet Hawk Standouts

  • Samuel Rarick led the Scarlet Hawks in scoring with 16 points.
  • Digiorgio posted another double-double (12 points, 12 rebounds).
  • Joncus added 10 points in the starting unit.

Cornell Notes

  • Davis put together a nice stat line for the Rams, compiling 20 points, six rebounds, five assists, two steals, and five blocked shots.

Stats to Know

  • Tech outrebounded Cornell 40-33 and outscored the Rams 43-34 in the second half.
  • Tech shot just 33% from the field and 29% from three.
  • The Scarlet Hawks were 18-21 (85.7%) from the charity stripe.

Up Next

  • The Scarlet Hawks are off until after Christmas. Tech resumes its schedule on Tuesday, December 29 at 7:00 p.m. at the University of Dubuque.