By AMIR PATEL

With some excitement surrounding the Cornell mens basketball program again, the Red looks to extend its win streak to three on Saturday when it welcomes UMass Lowell (6-2) to Newman Arena. After dropping three games at the Charleston Classic, the Red rebounded with wins against Canisius and Binghamton to secure consecutive wins for the first time since February, 2013. The Red has put an emphasis on defense and utilizing its experience, both of which are major parts of the identity that the team is forming.

This gradual formation of a true identity has been a big plus for the squad. It is clear that the Red is heavily dependent on the backcourt for offensive production, with guards Galal Cancer, Robert Hatter and Devin Cherry combining to average 34.4 points per game, more than half of the teams overall average. However, the maturation of sophomore forward David Onuorah, along with the return of senior forward Shonn Miller, has given the Red an evenly balanced attack both offensively and defensively.

On the defensive end, the Red leads the Ivy League in opponents field goal percentage (37.3%) and defensive rebounds per game (27.6). While those numbers did take a hit against the top competition at the Charleston Classic, since its return, the Red has done well to play solid team defense. After allowing guards Sindarius Thornwell (South Carolina), D.J. Newbill (Penn State) and Damion Lee (Drexel) to pick apart the Red defense for a combined 68 points in Charleston, the squad has come back with a balanced defensive attack focused on playing suffocating defense for a full game, according to head coach Bill Courtney.

We didnt play a full 40 minutes of hard defense in Charleston, but we have been able to improve on that in these past couple games, Courtney said.

Another factor that has proven to be a significant advantage for the Red thus far is the versatility of its roster. With a guy like Miller who can stretch the floor with his shooting ability and battle inside, the Red has the ability to compete against a myriad of defenses. With three guards who can explode for 20 points a game on any given night in Cancer, Cherry and Hatter, along with the improvement of sophomore guard Darryl Smith, the Red has the unique ability to defer scoring to a variety of players throughout a game.

Our guys understand their roles and have been executing game plans well. We have been getting the ball into the right hands, and stepping up in the second half, Courtney said.

Being able to defer offensive production, coupled with some multi-faceted offensive players is a valuable asset for a Cornell team that will look to turn heads throughout the season, especially against top-notch squads like Syracuse, a team that plays the legendary and unique 2-3 defense. Teams who rely heavily on one player for offensive production often become exposed very early in the season. Courtney said that the work of the bench combined with some veteran leadership has made for an attack that can fire from all cylinders without relying on starpower. The Red currently has four players averaging double figures.

We have started slow in the first half a few times, but our bench and experienced guys have kept us going by stepping up as the game progresses, Courtney said. Looking at Saturdays matchup with UMass-Lowell, the Red has to contend with another guard heavy lineup. The top three scorers for the River Hawks are all guards, led by sophomore Jahad Thomas who is averaging just shy of 16 points per game. The Red holds a major size advantage, with seven players 67 or taller, while the Red Hawks only have one.

With the senior big man trio of Deion Giddens, Ned Tomic and Dave LaMore showing leadership and control in the past two games, they, along with Miller and Onuorah, should be heavily targeted. Regardless of their lack of size in the frontcourt, the River Hawks have managed to win six straight games since dropping their first two to start the season, and the Red has the opportunity to snap that streak.

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M. BASKETBALL | Red Looks to Extend Win Streak