MOUNT VERNON – On a day the Rams recognized 1,000-point scorers Jayden Meeker and Zach Ingle prior to tipoff, it was Cornell's defense that earned the spotlight in Saturday's hard-fought 64-58 men's basketball win over Ripon at the Small Athletic and Wellness Center.
 
Cornell pushed through in crunch time and scored the game's final six points to claim the pivotal Midwest Conference home win.
 
The Rams (13-6 overall, 7-3 MWC) remained third in a tight league race, only percentage points behind second-place Grinnell (8-3 MWC) and one game back in the loss column to leader Monmouth (9-2 MWC).
 
Cornell outscored Ripon (8-11 overall, 5-5 MWC) 37-28 in the second half. The Red Hawks managed only four points over the final 4:30 of regulation.
 
Meeker enjoyed another exceptional all-around effort with 19 points, nine rebounds, six assists, four steals and three blocked shots. The high-flying senior guard slammed home a pair of dunks, highlighted by a two-handed flush that put the Rams ahead 46-41 midway through the second half.
 
Tied 58-58, Meeker's free throw gave Cornell the lead for good with 1:09 remaining. Dylan Hurley stretched the margin to 61-58 on a layup with 24 seconds left. Cornell put the game away with three more free throws in the final stages, one from Caleb Leslie and two by Connor Barnett.
 
The Red Hawks turned the ball over on their final three possessions. They were held to 39.7 percent shooting on the day.
 
Leslie and Hurley finished with 13 and 12 points, respectively. Hurley added eight rebounds and six assists.
 
The Rams held Ripon's top scorer Luke Meinholz to three points, 14 below his season average.    
 
Coming up – The Rams travel to play in-state rival Grinnell (15-5 overall, 8-3 MWC) at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. The Pioneers took the first meeting, 105-93.