Morgan dominates closing minutes as Cornell beats Navy

Dec 30, 2018, 08:22 pm

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Mike Morgan scored 25 of his 27 points in the second half, including six straight in a key late run, and Cornell defeated Navy 61-50 on Sunday.

Steven Julian added nine points and a career-high 15 rebounds for Cornell (6-7).

George Kiernan had 15 points and seven rebounds for Navy (3-8).

Morgan's 3-point play gave the Big Red a 50-42 lead with 3:47 remaining but Navy scored five points on its next two possessions to stay close. Navy was within 52-50 after a 3-pointer by Hasan Abdullah but Morgan scored the next six points for a 58-50 lead with a minute to go. Two free throws from Terrance McBride and one by Julian finished off Cornell's closing 9-0 run.

Morgan, who averages 23.1 points per game, has reached double figures in scoring in 64 consecutive games. He scored 14 of Cornell's last 18 points in the final eight minutes.

The two teams last met in the 1954 NCAA Tournament. Navy won that game 69-67 at the Palestra in Philadelphia.