Men's Basketball News Releases
Rams fall 61-53 to No. 4 UW-Stevens Point in first round of NCAA Tournament
ST. PAUL, MINN. -- Cornell's record-breaking season came to an end Friday night, but the Rams did not go down without a fight.
Cornell had fourth-ranked UW-Stevens Point on the ropes with the game tied and less than three minutes remaining in regulation. The Pointers pulled away with eight unanswered points down the stretch and survived a 61-53 battle in the first round of the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament at a packed Schoenecker Arena.
The Rams, making their first national tournament appearance since 1994, closed out the campaign with a school-record 21 wins and seven defeats. Five of those losses came against nationally-ranked opponents. Cornell was 17-0 when holding opponents to 60 points or less.
"We fought hard and never gave up against a very good UW-Stevens Point team," Cornell head coach Mike DeGeorge said. "I couldn't be more proud of this group and what they have accomplished. They put the team first and that is what it takes to have this kind of success. It is a great model in which to work from for the groups that follow."
Cornell trailed by as many as 12 points in the first half and faced a 34-26 deficit at halftime. The Rams charged back with a 10-0 spurt late in the second half, capped with a layup from senior guard Michael Tierney (Cedar Rapids/Jefferson) that tied the score at 53-53 
with 3:43 left to play.
Senior Griffin LaDew (Pewaukee, Wis./Waukesha Catholic Memorial), who led the Rams with 17 points and five 3-point goals, had a 3-point attempt fall off the mark with 2:49 remaining that would have given the Rams their first lead of the game. UW-Stevens Point (24-4) regained the lead for good, 55-53, with a layup on the next possession.
Trailing 55-53 following a Cornell timeout, LaDew had a potential go-ahead 3-pointer rim in and out with 1:20 left to play. The Pointers stretched the lead to 57-53 on a jumper with 47 seconds remaining and then sealed the win with four free throws in the final 15 seconds.
"We were nervous early (in the first half)," DeGeorge said. "Once we settled down, we proved we were every bit their equal. We put ourselves in a great position and had some very good looks in the last four minutes to put us over the top that just didn't go in."
The Rams climbed back into the game while holding UW-Stevens Point to 29.6 percent shooting in the second half. Junior Chris Handke (Bellevue/Bellevue) was a force on the defensive end with three blocked shots and altering several others. The 6-foot-11 center finished with 10 points and seven rebounds. Tierney collected nine points, eight rebounds and three assists. Riley Larson (Cedar Rapids/Jefferson) added five boards.
Khalifa El-Amin and Matt Moses paced the Pointers with 17 points apiece. El-Amin netted 15 points on five 3-point goals in the first half.
Cornell shot 39.0 percent from the field to the Pointers' 37.5. UW-Stevens Point held a 39-35 edge on the boards. The Pointers went 13 of 21 from the foul line while the Rams missed their only two free throw attempts.
"It was a great team effort," DeGeorge said. "I thought all five starters made big contributions and J. Ryan Lott and Andre Rattray gave us a big lift off the bench, matching Steven Point's quickness. Joe Newcomb and Matt Lewis provided great energy off the bench up front."
Cornell brings back six players - including starters Handke, Larson and Corey Dieser (Albert Lea, Minn./Albert Lea) - who played in the NCAA Tournament game. The Rams graduate five seniors in LaDew, Tierney, Rattray, Tyler Cody (Roberts, Wis./St. Croix Central) and Brady Bormann (Canby, Minn./Canby).
