Read more: Cornell, Big Red, College, NCAA Basketball
NEW YORK CITY (AP) -- Ryan Wittman wasn't sure his game-winner from 30 feet was going in. His coach knew it was.
Wittman capped a season-high 29-point performance by hitting the long 3-pointer at the overtime buzzer and Cornell beat Davidson 91-88 on Sunday in the Holiday Festival at Madison Square Garden.
"To be pretty honest, I thought I left it short," Wittman said of his seventh 3 of the game. "I was a little surprised it went in. But, I'll take it."
Cornell coach Steve Donahue didn't have a doubt.
"When he has the ball, in situations where he has to make plays, we call his number and to be honest with you, I knew it, when he released it, it was in," he said.
JP Kuhlman of Davidson made the first of two free throws with 6.6 seconds left to tie it at 88. Jeff Foote grabbed the miss of the second free throw - his 14th rebound of the game - and found Wittman, who let his winner go from halfway between the NBA 3-point line and the Knicks midcourt logo.
"It is pretty cool just playing in the Garden, my first time here," Wittman said. "There are a lot of things I liked about that game, it was a lot of fun."
Cornell, which has won six straight, will play St. John's, which beat Hofstra 72-60, in Monday night's championship game.
Wittman was 7 of 16 on 3s and the Big Red (8-2) finished 13 of 29.
Davidson, which has lost three of four, trailed by 17 in the first half and were down 44-31 at halftime. The Wildcats took their first lead of the game at 63-61 on a drive by Nik Cochran with 6:24 left. There would be 10 more lead changes the rest of regulation.
Jake Cohen had 18 points for the Wildcats (3-8), but he missed three of four free throws in the final 12 seconds of regulation. Cornell's Louis Dale tied it at 75 with .7 seconds left on a drive, his first field goal of the game.
"He was fortunate he got the possession on a missed shot," Davidson coach Bob McKillop said of Dale. "It gave him an opportunity to catch the ball in motion and get a head of steam. Our intent was to corral him, the ball, whoever had the ball."
Dale, who finished with nine points and seven assists, credited Wittman.
"I think he just really encourages the team," Dale said. "He tells myself to be aggressive and tell other guys to stay aggressive and eventually the shots will start falling."
This is Cornell's fourth appearance in the Holiday Festival and first since 1970. The Big Red are 2-5 in the tournament.
(Copyright ©2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
