Men's Basketball Notebook 11-24-09

There are always key moments in a game that determine the outcome. For some games, it is decided in the opening seconds while in others the outcome remains uncertain until the final ticks of regulation. For Cornell, the difference in a game appears to boil down to the opening minutes of the second half.

In the Red’s two victories this season, Cornell began the second half strong with a 9-0 run at Alabama and a 6-0 run at UMass. However, in the Red’s only defeat this season, Seton Hall mounted a 12-5 run to start the second half.

“Anytime you play on the road, momentum plays an important role in terms of trying to stay in the game,” said head coach Steve Donahue. “The beginning of the game is extremely important all of the time as well as weathering the storm at the beginning of the second half. Obviously, you want to come out and set the tone when you first come out on the floor.”

Although the Red entered the half with a 40-35 advantage last season at the Carrier Dome, Syracuse outscored Cornell, 9-6, in the first four minutes of the second half en route to outscoring the Red, 53-38, in the final 20 minutes of regulation.