MOUNT VERNON – Playing nine games over the final 17 days of the regular season, Cornell's men's basketball team has a chance to recharge before embarking on a promising postseason run.  
 
Coach Dave Schlabaugh's No. 2 seed Rams (17-8) meet No. 3 seed Grinnell (16-8) in Friday's 1:30 p.m. semifinal of the Midwest Conference Tournament, held inside Weiske Gymnasium in Ripon, Wis.
 
MWC regular-season champion and top-seeded Ripon (17-7) faces No. 4 seed Illinois College (14-10) in Friday's second semifinal at 6 p.m.
 
The semifinal winners play for the championship and an automatic NCAA berth at 3 p.m. Saturday.
 
Fans can watch live tournament action on the Stretch Internet portal.
 
The win-or-go-home tournament figures to be a toss-up as all four teams went 1-1 against each other in the regular season. The Rams fell 82-68 at home to Grinnell last Thursday, although won a 101-92 shootout at Grinnell in early December.
 
The Rams placed second in the MWC race at 12-4, tying for the most conference wins in a season since 1969-70 (13-5). Only two Cornell teams have won more games than this year's squad, and both – 21-7 in 2008-09 and 18-6 in 1960-61 – advanced to the national tournament. 
 
Cornell is seeking its first MWC Tournament crown since 1994. The Rams last qualified for the NCAAs in 2009, when they won the Iowa Conference Tournament.
 
Friday will mark Cornell's third MWC Tournament appearance in the last six years. The Rams lost in the semifinals in 2020 and 2017.
 
The Rams are led by the accomplished senior trio of Cooper Kabela (16.2 ppg), Jordan Magnani (16.0 ppg) and Marcus Quirk (12.6 ppg). They have combined for 234 career starts.
 
Kabela is Cornell's all-time scoring leader with 1,580 points. Magnani ranks 13th on the career points list with 1,149. Quirk has 877 points.
 
Cornell is among the top defensive teams in the league. The Rams are No. 1 in opponents' field goal percentage (40.4) and opposing 3-point percentage (31.5). Cornell allows 69.1 points per game, second-fewest in the MWC.
 
Cornell is 14-0 this season when holding the opponent below 70 points. Grinnell scores 103.5 points per game, No. 3 in NCAA Division III.   
 
Midwest Conference Tournament
At Ripon, Wis. (Weiske Gymnasium)
Friday's Semifinals
1:30 p.m. – No. 2 Cornell (17-8) vs. No. 3 Grinnell (16-8)
6 p.m. – No. 1 Ripon (17-7) vs. No. 4 Illinois College (14-10)
Saturday's Final
3:00 p.m. – Semifinal winners