Cornell endured a slow start on the road Tuesday night and fell 70-53 to Illinois College in the Midwest Conference opener for both men’s basketball teams inside Sherman Gymnasium.
The Blueboys (6-1 overall, 1-0 MWC) set the tone in building a 24-8 lead midway through the first half. Cornell (1-5 overall, 0-1 MWC) was unable to make a comeback against the MWC’s top scoring defense, which held the Rams 20 points below their season average.
The Rams held their own on the boards, getting 10 rebounds from Logan Sharp and seven from Zach Ingle. Cornell turned the ball over only seven times, although shot just 31.7 percent from the floor.
Jordan Magnani, the MWC’s leading scorer, tossed in a team-high 13 points. He was joined in double-figures scoring by Jeremy Durdan, who netted 11 points off the bench with three 3-point goals. Jayden Meeker chipped in eight points.
Illinois College connected on 11 3-pointers, four coming from Buzz Ritzel who led all players with 21 points. Cornell shot 5-of-24 from beyond the arc.
The Blueboys, projected second in the MWC Preseason Coaches’ Poll, led 31-17 at halftime and then broke it open with a 13-4 run to start the second half.