Dartmouth men’s basketball lost 87-73 against the University of Albany on Nov. 13, putting the team at 2-1 this season.
The energy was high inside Leede Arena, with approximately 720 spectators coming to watch the Big Green’s second DI game of the season. The Big Green was coming off an 81-76 win at Sacred Heart University on Nov. 8, while the AEC fifth-ranked Great Danes defeated DIII opponent SUNY-Oneonta 89-69 on Nov. 9.
The Big Green entered the game with a 5-6 historical record against UAlbany, having lost their most recent matchup 68-73 on Dec. 2, 2023.
Leading up to the game, Dartmouth was first in the Ivy League for cumulative shooting stats, offensive, defensive and marginally. Cade Haskins ’25 held the number one spot in the Ivy League for scoring, averaging 26 points a game, and was also first in three-point field goal percentage at .565.
“Cade has a couple of great first games,” head coach David McLaughlin said. “He’s a terrific player and can really shoot the ball.”
According to McLaughlin, Haskin’s impressive stats have consequences: constant pressure and tight defensive coverage.
“I think today, they were guarding him really tight, and that’s how teams are going to guard him,” he said. “Cade is an older player. He is professional — I mean that, within his approaches, he’s going to take things seriously. He’s going to learn and get better from it.”
The Big Green opened the first half with an early 9-2 run, keeping the Great Danes from scoring for two and a half minutes. Dartmouth held the lead until midway through the half, when a seven-point run put UAlbany up 27-26.
Following the run, Ryan Cornish ’25 came into the paint with a driving layup, before sinking three free throws. With 4:44 remaining in the first half, the Big Green was back ahead, 32-28.
“I’m just going to do whatever my team needs me to do, whether it’s making a backdoor cut to free someone else up, or setting a screen, or setting up someone or scoring the ball,” Cornish said. “I’m just going to read the defense and do what I can do.”
Back-to-back three-point baskets with 4:01 left in the half put the Great Danes back in the lead, 34-32. With just 3:15 left in the half, the Big Green pulled through with scores by Cornish and Romeo Mythril ’25, putting Dartmouth ahead at 36-34.
Just before the end of the half, a jumper and a three-pointer pushed the Great Danes back on top, and the teams entered half-time at 43-40.
“Their defensive pressure definitely got us out of our rhythm a couple of times,” Cornish said. “I think we could have had a lot more backdoor cuts in some situations, which is something we usually do really well. It’s definitely a good learning moment.”
According to forward Brandon Mitchell-Day ’26, the game was all about getting into the paint, establishing a presence and putting up points. The Great Danes heavily guarded the three-point line, resulting in only 12 three-point shots from the Big Green. The Great Danes, meanwhile, threw up 31 and made seven more than Dartmouth’s three.
“At first it was working out, but then [UAlbany] started sinking it,” Mitchell-Day said. “We just weren’t hitting shots today. I’m fully confident in this team. I know that we’re going to start hitting those shots, and when the time comes the guys are going to be ready.”
For the first time this season, the Big Green did not dictate the pace of play. The team had a total of 16 turnovers and oscillated between ties and lead switches. UAlbany made 22 points off turnovers, while the Big Green only made six.
Opening the second, the Great Danes outscored the Big Green 10-3 and grabbed a 10-point lead just three minutes into the half.
A dunk from Mitchell-Day catalyzed a run from the Big Green, cutting the UAlbany lead down to three, 55-52, with 12:55 remaining in the half.
Just a few minutes later, the momentum again swung to the Great Danes, who ran another 10-point lead, setting the score at 66-56. UAlbany kept the points firing and took the victory 87-73.
Despite the loss, players finished the day with impressive numbers. With 10 total — two offensive and eight defensive — Jackson Munro ’26 led the Dartmouth squad in rebounds. Last season, he averaged 3.8 rebounds a game.
“During the offseason, I spent a lot of time in the weight room, just trying to get stronger and more explosive, sort of quickening the time I spend on the ground before going up to get rebounds,” Munro said. “I think it’s definitely paying off.”
Reflecting on the loss, McLaughlin said UAlbany brought “a more physical presence” than the Big Green.
“They got a lot of extra opportunities, which allowed them to have 27 more shots than us, and statistically, it’s really hard to win a game when another team gets that many more shots,” he said.
Despite the loss, Mitchell-Day said the Big Green feels “confident” in the team’s camaraderie and closeness.
“I think this is one of the closest groups I’ve ever been a part of at Dartmouth,” Mitchell-Day said. “I think that is eventually going to translate onto the court.”
The Big Green will be on the road for the next month, hosting its next home game at Leede Arena on Dec. 18.
“There will definitely be plenty of opportunities to spend time together on the road, so hopefully we’re going to lean into that,” Munro said. “Sometimes those long road trips can be mentally and physically fatiguing, so we’re going to have to rely on each other a lot over the next month.”
The team returns to action on Nov. 19 at Marist College. They enter the match-up with a 2-6 historical record, their last victory against Marist in 2000. The two teams’ most recent matchup was Dec. 9, 2023, when the Big Green lost 53-63.
