Matt Knowling’s three-point play on an inbounds set with 3.2 seconds remaining lifted defending Ivy champ Yale past Cormnell 80-78 on Saturday afternoon at John J. Lee Amphitheater in a battle of conference unbeatens that felt like a heavyweight fight. The Bulldogs won their ninth straight contest to improve to 16-6 (7-0 Ivy), while the Big Red fell to 17-4 (6-1 Ivy).
Chris Manon scored 22 points, including the go-ahead basket with 27.9 seconds remaining, on 9-of-11 shooting from the field and added three rebounds, three assists, two steals and a blocked shot. Nazir Williamswas 8-of-11 from the floor for 17 points, while Isaiah Gray netted six points with six assists and four rebounds. Cornell shot 55 percent from the floor against a Yale defense surrendering just 41 percent shooting entering the contest.
Danny Wolf led Yale with 25 points and 10 rebounds, but also had five turnovers. Knowling ended the contest with 12 points, nine rebounds and four assists for a Yale team that had 17 offensive rebounds and a 20-2 edge in second chance points. John Poulakidas had 13 points, including two key triples among the three Yale connected on all day, and August Mahoney had 11 with five boards.
From the tip, the game felt like a high-level playoff game, and the first five and last five minutes showcased why. Tremendous shot-making allowed the Big Red to go up 14-11 just 4:43 into the game, with Cornell shooting 5-of-6 from the floor and Yale connecting on 4-of-6. The final five minutes of the game saw three ties and three lead changes, including a pair of lead changes in the final 30 seconds.
Manon hit a fallaway jumper in the lane to put the home team ahead with 27.9 seconds left. The Big Red forced Wolf into a tough shot, but couldn’t corral the rebound and Yale called timeout with 4.0 seconds left. Mbeng found Knowling on a cut and the bUlldog was fouled while putting up the shot to give the home team a 79-78 lead with 3.2 seconds left. The free throw was made to…
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