Men's Basketball News Releases
4-1 Rams equal best start to season since 1993-94
Coming up - Saturday, Dec. 6, Simpson, Small Multi-Sport Center, Mount Vernon, 4 p.m.; Wednesday, Dec. 10, Augustana, Small Multi-Sport Center, Mount Vernon, 7 p.m.
Ram review - Off to its best start in more than a decade, Cornell set a school record for margin of victory in a 106-40 home-opening rout of Faith Baptist Nov. 25 and then picked up a 60-56 road win over Mount Mercy Nov. 30 in Cedar Rapids.
The Rams raised their overall record to 4-1. It is the program's best start to a season since opening the 1989-90 campaign at 6-1. Cornell also started the 1993-94 season at 4-1.
Chris Handke (Bellevue/Bellevue) and Griffin LaDew (Pewaukee, Wis./Waukesha Catholic Memorial) came up with clutch buckets down the stretch to rally the Rams past Mount Mercy (3-5). Trailing 56-55, Handke hit a field goal that put the Rams ahead for good with 1 minute, 7 seconds remaining. Following a Mount Mercy turnover, LaDew knocked down a 3-pointer with 21 seconds left to play that provided the final margin of victory.
"It was a poor energy night for us. For whatever reason, we had tired legs and it affected every aspect of the game," Cornell head coach Mike DeGeorge said. "Mount Mercy is a talented team and it is a testament to our team's maturity that we found a way to win this game on the road. Handke had a big offensive game despite having the stomach flu. LaDew hit a big three to seal the win and Marc Neef (six points in five minutes) gave us a lift off the bench. I was proud of our defensive effort."
The Rams went nearly four minutes without a field goal prior to Handke's go-ahead basket. Handke, a 6-foot-11 junior center, tossed in a team-high 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting and also grabbed five rebounds. Tyler Cody (Roberts, Wis./St. Croix Central) added 11 points and a team-high six rebounds off the bench. LaDew finished with nine points, going 3-of-5 from 3-point range.
Cornell led 34-29 at halftime and built its biggest lead at 47-40 with 10 minutes left in regulation. The Rams held the Mustangs to 39.3 percent shooting and owned a 37-35 edge on the boards.
Freshman Jon Crozier (Pecatonica, Ill./Pecatonica) netted a game-high 20 points in only 12 minutes of work to lead six Rams in double-figures scoring in the blowout over Faith Baptist. The reserve guard connected on all eight of his field goal attempts and went 4-of-4 from beyond the arc. Crozier also collected five rebounds and three steals in his first extended action of the season.
Cornell's 66-point win topped the program's previous mark for largest margin of victory of 59 points, set in 1960 against Ripon. The Rams tied the single-game school record with 23 steals. Cornell's 44 made field goals are the fourth most in a game.
"This was an all-around team effort," DeGeorge said. "We were more talented than Faith, but we didn't rely on our talent. We sustained our effort and approach for 40 minutes no matter who was in the game. It was a great program win."
Riley Larson (Cedar Rapids/Jefferson) tallied 14 points and six rebounds. LaDew and Matt Lewis (Augusta, Ill./Southeastern) had 12 and 11 points, respectively, while Cody and Michael Tierney (Cedar Rapids/Jefferson) each added 10. Handke finished with seven points and a game-high eight rebounds. Tierney led the team with seven assists and five steals.
The Rams shot 55 percent from the field and opened a 53-17 lead at halftime. Cornell had 14 players score a field goal. Faith Baptist (1-9) was limited to 31.6 percent shooting.
Century mark - Cornell topped the 100-point mark against Faith Baptist for the first time since scoring 112 points in a 136-112 loss at Grinnell Nov. 18, 2005. The Rams have reached triple digits in points five times in the last 10 seasons, which includes wins over Grinnell (125-119, Nov. 23, 2004), MacMurray (116-99, Nov. 27, 2004) and Loras (104-100 triple overtime, Jan. 3, 2004).
The last time a Cornell team scored 100 points in a home game was a 116-21 women's trouncing of Mount Mary Dec. 7, 2007.
Rams in the rankings - Cornell leads the Iowa Conference in free throw percentage (74.7), field goal percentage (49.5) and assist/turnover ratio (1.06). The Rams are second in scoring defense (58.2 ppg), scoring margin (17.4 ppg), rebound defense (28.2 rpg) and assists (14.0 apg).
LaDew ranks second in 3-point goals made per game (2.2). Handke is fourth in field goal percentage (63.2).
