Making history, the Big Red advance in the Big Dance
By Anne Ju
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Call it an improbable upset, a full-on rout or proof that the third time's the charm. On March 19, the 12th-seeded Cornell men's basketball team defeated the fifth-seeded Temple University Owls, 78-65, in the first round of the NCAA tournament -- a win that secures this team's place in Cornell basketball history books.
After three straight Ivy League championships, accompanied by two straight disappointing losses in back-to-back tournament appearances, the Big Red have now secured the school's first-ever NCAA tournament win in men's basketball history. Led by a talented senior class that had the nation talking "Cinderella," the Big Red have proved to fans and foes alike that Cornell can dance with the best of them.
"I thought we did everything you need to do against a very good defensive team," said coach Steve Donahue.
The win also made a statement for the Ivy League, which hadn't won an NCAA tournament game since 1998, when Princeton, a No. 5 seed, beat UNLV in the first round.
On Sunday at 2:50 p.m. EDT, the Big Red will take on the No. 4-seeded Wisconsin Badgers, who defeated the tenacious Wofford Terriers, 53-49.
Cornell controlled the game from the start, and although Temple is clearly a talented shooting team, Cornell shut them down with powerful, opportunistic defense. They moved the ball comfortably. They found daylight with the open man and shot 56 percent from the floor. Coming into the game as underdogs, they only trailed once the entire game.
Individual efforts were clearly a factor in their success. Senior guard Louis Dale was the game's leading scorer with 21 points and seven assists. Senior forward Ryan Wittman, the Ivy League Player of the Year, had 20 points, including four three-pointers. Jeff Foote, senior center, had 16 points.
"When Louis and Ryan are doing their thing like tonight, we're a real tough team to stop," Foote said.
The locker room after the game had national media swarming players for interviews. Cornell President Emeritus Hunter Rawlings was also there, fist pumping.
"We knew that it was going to be a hard-fought game, and that we just needed to stay poised and be tough," Dale said.
Maybe it was pregame antics that sealed the Big Red's confidence. Not allowed to touch basketballs until an hour before tipoff, they pleased the crowd with fake layup lines, shadowing shots and alley-oops.
Why the loose attitude? One press conference questioner asked.
"I think it starts with us being best friends," Dale said. "We're going to go out and play hard and have fun. That's the most important thing."
With about two minutes left in the game, the Big Red were all smiles -- a respectful start to a long-sought celebration. Wittman had two rare free-throw misses, to which he smiled and shook his head. The entire fan section was on its feet. There were a few tears. When the buzzer sounded, amid chest-bumps, the team approached the Cornell fan section to pay tribute. Donahue did the same.
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