On the brink of completing its second monumental comeback in as many games, Cornell’s men’s basketball team was nipped in the closing moments of a 77-76 overtime loss to Midwest Conference foe Lake Forest Saturday inside the Small Athletic and Wellness Center.
The Rams (4-10 overall, 2-3 MWC) mounted a ferocious second-half rally from 22 points down to force overtime. Sophomore Jayden Meeker’s 3-pointer from the wing put Cornell ahead 76-75 with 23 seconds remaining.
The Foresters (6-8 overall, 3-2 MWC) answered with Alex Knight’s turnaround jumper in the paint to regain the lead at 77-76 with 12 seconds left. Cornell misfired on a contested 3-pointer as the final horn sounded and Lake Forest escaped.
Jordan Magnani and Meeker combined for 44 points – 38 after intermission – to fuel the comeback for Cornell, which rallied from a 17-point deficit to beat Wartburg on Dec. 31.
Magnani netted a game-high 24 points to go with eight rebounds, five assists and a pair of steals. Meeker also had a terrific all-around performance with 20 points, six blocked shots, four rebounds and two steals.
Meeker’s block and ensuing layup tied the score at 67-67 with six seconds left in regulation. Meeker then swatted away a Lake Forest drive at the rim in the final second that extended the contest.
The Rams worked all the way out of a 44-22 hole with 18 minutes to go in the second half. Lake Forest led for all but the final six seconds of the half.
Cornell made 20-of-24 free throws, although endured a tough 4-of-30 shooting night from 3-point range. The Foresters shot 61.5 percent in the first half to claim a 42-22 lead at halftime.
Zach Ingle pitched in 13 points and Jeremy Durdan added eight off the bench. Logan Christensen collected six rebounds.
Frank Siegien paced the Foresters with 22 points.