Pinecrest grad Adam Wire played his defensive and rebounding role off the bench to perfection as Cornell advanced to the Sweet 16 with an 87-69 victory over Wisconsin in Jacksonville, Fla., Sunday afternoon.

The 6-5 junior forward’s six rebounds in 13 minutes of action were second on the team to the seven grabbed by center Jeff Foote. Wire also contributed an assist and a steal.

The excitement for the Big Red, and those who love to follow March Madness Cinderella stories, goes up a notch next Thursday before more than 30,000 fans in Syracuse, N.Y., when No. 1 seeded Kentucky provides the opposition.

Cornell, a No. 12 seed, shot 61 percent from the field. It got another big game from Louis Dale, with 26 points, and Ryan Wittman, with 24, in the walloping of the No. 4 Badgers. The Big Red (29-4) became the first Ivy League team to reach the Sweet 16 since Penn did it in 1979.