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Rams clinch berth in Iowa Conference Tournament

MOUNT VERNON – The Cornell men’s basketball team secured a berth in the Iowa Conference Tournament for the first time in four years with a rare road win over Wartburg, 78-65, on Feb. 13 in Waverly.

The Rams (9-14 overall, 7-7 IIAC) beat the Knights in Waverly for the first time since 1997, ending an 11-game losing skid. Cornell, currently in fifth place with two games remaining in the league race, will make its first postseason appearance since 2003-04. The six-team IIAC Tournament begins Feb. 26 with the No. 3 and 4 seeds hosting two first-round games. The semifinals are Feb. 28 and the finals March 1.

“This is a big step for us to earn a conference tournament berth and complete a season sweep of Wartburg,” Cornell head coach Mike DeGeorge said.

Cornell finished the week on a disappointing note, falling 81-59 to Coe on Feb. 16 before a packed house at the Small Multi-Sport Center in Mount Vernon.

“This team has responded to every setback we have faced this year,” DeGeorge said. “It is the reason we have improved so much. This is another challenge we need to overcome.”

Coe 81, Cornell 59 (Feb. 16, at Mount Vernon)
The Rams couldn’t keep up with Coe’s hot shooting in the second half and were dealt a lopsided home loss before 1,050 fans.

The Kohawks, who led 39-33 at halftime, broke the game open in the second half thanks to 65.4 percent shooting (17-of-26) from the field in the final 20 minutes. Coe used a 13-0 spurt midway through the second half to pull away.

“Coe dominated us in every aspect of the game,” DeGeorge said. “They outworked us and out-executed us. This was extremely disappointing.”

Junior point guard Michael Tierney (Cedar Rapids/Jefferson) was the lone Ram to score in double figures, finishing with 14 points on 7-of-10 shooting. Griffin LaDew (Pewaukee, Wis./Waukesha Catholic Memorial) and Joe Newcomb (Salem, Ind./Eastern) each chipped in seven points.

Cornell 78, Wartburg 65 (Feb. 13, at Waverly)
Newcomb, a 6-foot-6 freshman forward, came off the bench to tally season highs of 17 points and seven rebounds as Cornell clinched a postseason tournament berth with its first season sweep over Wartburg since the Rams joined the IIAC in 1997-98.

The Rams raced to a 47-29 lead at halftime behind 58.1 percent shooting (18-of-31). Cornell limited Wartburg to just two field goals over the opening nine minutes of the game. Wartburg never got closer than seven points in the second half. Cornell shot 8-of-16 from 3-point range and outscored the Knights in bench points, 44-15.

LaDew nailed four 3-pointers and finished with 16 points. Freshman J. Ryan Lott (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley Northwest) chipped in 13 points and four assists off the bench. Tierney dished out a team-high five assists.

The Rams were 4-18 against Wartburg in IIAC play prior to this season. Cornell posted a 72-60 win over the Knights at home on Jan. 16.

Coming up — Wednesday, Feb. 20, vs. Loras (18-5 overall, 12-2 IIAC), Small Multi-Sport Center, Mount Vernon, 8 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 23, at Simpson (6-17, 3-11), Indianola, 4 p.m.

Heading into the final week of the regular season, the Rams are fighting with Dubuque and Central for the No. 4, 5 and 6 seeds in the IIAC Tournament. Cornell stands one-half game behind fourth-place Dubuque (8-7) and one game ahead of sixth-place Central (6-8). The Rams went 1-1 against both teams.

Cornell would likely sew up the No. 4 seed with wins this week against Loras and Simpson. The Rams fell 81-70 at Loras on Jan. 12 and beat Simpson 74-67 at home on Jan. 9.

Program progress – The Rams’ seven conference wins this season are the most since the team went 12-6 in league play in 2002-03. Cornell, which does not have a senior on its roster, has already topped last year’s overall (8-17) and conference (4-12) marks.