Gainey’s Putback Dunk with 3.5 Seconds Gives MBB 81-80 Victory

Saturday, February 12

Ithaca, N.Y.

2:00 PM

Brown University

12-13,4-6Ivy League

Cornell

13-8,5-5Ivy League

Brown

Cornell

Photo by: Maddie Epperson/Cornell Athletics

Perry Cowan and Dan Friday defending at Cornell

Photo by: Maddie Epperson/Cornell Athletics

Photo by: Maddie Epperson/Cornell Athletics

Gainey’s Putback Dunk with 3.5 Seconds Gives MBB 81-80 Victory

2/12/2022 5:44:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

GAME WINNER | PHOTO GALLERY

ITHACA, N.Y. – A senior season to remember continues for the league's leader in blocked shots and field goals as Jaylan Gainey cleaned up a miss with an exclamation point dunk with 3.5 ticks to go to lead Brown to an 81-80 victory over Cornell on Saturday afternoon in Newman Arena.

Let's hear 🔊 the hometown call of @SlimJaylan's game-winning flush! 🏀🐻 pic.twitter.com/C3uJt2vAyk
— Brown Men's Basketball (@BrownBasketball) February 12, 2022

Down one with possession and 7.2 seconds remaining in regulation, Brown drove to the basket looking for the win. Gainey collected his fifth offensive rebound and ninth overall of the game and slammed down his fourth dunk as the Bears remained in playoff contention with four games left to play.

"That's a great win for our team," said head coach Mike Martin. "Cornell presents lots of challenges at both ends of the court. I thought our players stepped up and found a day to do whatever was necessary to win the game. As a coach, that was exciting to see."

Entering Saturday, Cornell (13-8, 5-5 Ivy) was 9-1 at home. Brown (12-13, 4-6 Ivy) featured six players in double figures and a double-double by Tamenang Choh, who finished with 11 points and 15 rebounds.

Gainey was 7-of-11 with a team-high 16 points to go with nine rebounds and two blocked shots. David Mitchell (12 points, four rebounds, three steals), Dan Friday (11 points, three assists) and Perry Cowan (10 points) combined for five triples as the Brown bench outscored Cornell's by 15.

The Bears recorded 14 offensive rebounds, the most since their trip to Syracuse on December 27 earlier this season.

In a game that featured 23 lead changes, Brown was lights out in the first half, shooting 57.6 percent from the field.

FIRST HALF
Noah Meren earned his first start as a Bear and finished with four rebounds and three assists. All 10 of Cowan's points came in the first as he reached double figures for the third time this season. The second unit shined with Mitchell adding nine points and two steals in the stanza.

There were four first-half dunks, three by Gainey and one by Cowan as the Bears went into the locker room with a 49-41 lead.

Choh pulled down seven of his game-high 15 boards in the first and Gainey finished the opening half with eight points, five rebounds and two blocks.

SECOND HALF
Cornell began the half on first to take its first lead since the 5:06 mark, 51-50. However, the lead was short as Kino Lilly Jr. – who finished with 10 points, three assists and three steals – drained a triple before the under 16 media.

Cornell went on a 10-0 run for a six-point edge, and again, the Bears stormed back to take a 71-69 lead with six minutes remaining.

Moments later, Cornell took a one-point lead that was erased by Choh's free throws with 34.3 ticks.

The Big Red looked to end the weekend with a win after a layup put Cornell in front 80-79 with 14.1 to go, but Gainey's heroics put Brown one-game back of Cornell as the Bears defeated the Big Red 81-80.

NOTES
Gainey posted his 17^th game of two or more blocks… Choh's 11 points give the graduate student 1,259 for his career, 29 away from No. 14 in Brown history (Brian Saunders)… with his 15 rebounds, Choh has 822, surpassing Allan Poulsen for No. 6 all-time… Lilly Jr. has 338 points as a freshman, now No. 5 in program history.

NEXT UP
Brown will have a homecourt advantage for three of the remaining four regular-season games. This coming week will feature the Bears hosting Princeton on February 18 at 7 p.m. and Penn on February 19 at 6 p.m.

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