Harvard Earns Impressive Win in Second Half

WORCESTER, Mass. -- Last night in Worcester, the Harvard men’s basketball team defeated Holy Cross for the first time in six seasons, and proved that it can win ugly in the process.

In a game that featured 40 turnovers, 22 by Harvard, the Crimson (2-0) prevailed 70-55 over the Crusaders (2-1) to pick up its first road victory, something it did not accomplish until the seventh game of the season last year. Harvard ended a five-game losing streak to Holy Cross, earning its first victory over the Crusaders since 1999.

“I consider Holy Cross the Duke of the low mid-major teams in the country,” coach Frank Sullivan said. “A win over a quality team on the road in our first road game should really help us with our confidence.”

The Crimson blew open a tightly contested game down the stretch and won going away. Leading by 51-49 with four minutes to play, Harvard went on an 11-1 run to take a commanding 62-50 lead with 1:19 remaining.

That run was part of a larger stretch in which the Crimson outscored the Crusaders 37-13 over the final 10 minutes, turning a nine-point Holy Cross lead into a comfortable Harvard cushion.

Harvard launched its crucial burst against the frenetic full court press of Holy Cross, traditionally one of the top defensive teams in the nation. Junior guard Jim Goffredo beat the press by converting a three-point play on a lay-up in transition, pushing the lead to 54-49.

Following two successful trips to the free throw line by junior center Brian Cusworth and freshman guard Drew Housman, senior guard Mike Beal outpaced the full court defense again with an acrobatic reverse lay-up that put the Crimson up by 10. Harvard’s final four points of the game also came off the fast break, on Housman’s lay-up and captain Matt Stehle’s resounding dunk.

“They threw [the press] at us at a time when we weren’t expecting it,” Cusworth said. “They caught us off guard right at the moment that it happened, but I think that we did a good job in handling it.”

The Crimson began its comeback after Holy Cross guard Pat Doherty hit a jumper to put the Crusaders up 42-33 with 10:30 to play. On the next possession, junior guard Ko Yada nailed a three-pointer, sparking a 10-0 run which gave Harvard back the lead for good.

“Coach was just telling us to keep our heads,” Beal said. “Both last game and this game, we’ve been able to keep our composure. We realized that there’s a lot of time [left], we didn’t have to rush it.”

All five Harvard starters scored in double figures. With the Crusaders throwing constant double teams at the Crimson’s two post threats, Stehle and Cusworth, the perimeter players were forced to assume the scoring load. Goffredo led the way with a game-high 17 points, 11 of which came in the game’s final 10 minutes.

Beal chipped in with 12 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Housman and Cusworth each added 12, while Stehle finished with 10 points and eight rebounds.

“We just had some great play all around,” Cusworth said. “We showed a lot of mental toughness, especially down the stretch.”

The Crusaders were paced by forward Keith Simmons, who scored 15. The Crimson, which held Holy Cross to just 32.3 percent from the field, was able to muzzle Holy Cross guard Kevin Hamilton, the preseason favorite for Patriot League Player of the Year. Hamilton scored 10 points on 3-of-16 shooting.

Harvard will put its perfect start to the season to the test again on Friday night against Sacred Heart in Connecticut. Game time is set for 7 p.m.

—Staff writer Caleb W. Peiffer can be reached at cpeiffer@fas.harvard.edu.