The Cornell Big Red (9-18) will try to put an end to their nine-game skid when they meet the Brown Bears (8-19) at Newman Arena at The Fieldhouse. Action begins at 6:00 pm ET on Saturday, Mar. 5.
The Big Red are hoping to rebound after their 88-64 loss to Yale on Friday. Darryl Smith had a solid performance, putting up 11 points, four rebounds, and one steal for Cornell. The Bears, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their close 66-63 loss against Columbia on Friday. JR Hobbie had a team-high 23 points.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Bears winning the first matchup 86-80. Steven Spieth had a stellar game with 16 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and one block.
The Big Red come into this game 9-18 Straight Up (SU) and 7-12-1 Against The Spread (ATS). They have a solid 8-2 ATS record over their last 10 games, but have not fared as well SU (3-7). Cornell’s defenders rank 36th in Division I in steals with 7.7 per game.
Over on the other bench, the Bears are successful ATS with a 12-8 record even though they have an 8-19 SU record. Brown has not performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 2-7-1 record.
The Bears’ win over Cornell in their last clash brought the head-to-head record to an even 5-5 SU over their most recent meetings. The Big Red lead the matchup ATS with a record of 6-3-1. During their latest five matchups, neither team ever held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers.
Predictions: SU Winner – Brown, ATS Winner – Brown
Notes
Cornell lost its last game by a 24-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Brown is 2-3. Cornell is 2-7 in blowouts this season.
The Cornell Big Red average 73.1 possessions per game and .971 points per possession, while the Brown Bears earn fewer possessions (71.4) but more points per possession (1.022).
Cornell has an average effective field goal percentage of 48.7%. Brown is an abysmal 2-15 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, the Cornell Big Red attempt 24.0 three point field goals per game and the Brown Bears attempt 23.0. In games where they attempt at least 20 threes, both teams have losing records; Cornell is 7-15 and Brown is 6-14.
Brown, the 94th-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 4.1 per game. Cornell does worse, ranked 132nd with 3.7.
The Cornell Big Red average 7.7 steals per game. When giving up 7 or more steals, the Brown Bears have a losing record (6-11) this season.
