Another Tragic Jadwin Defeat for Crimson

PRINCETON—Once again, Harvard traveled to Princeton hoping to take down its Ivy rival.

And once again, for the 18th time in a row, Jadwin Gym’s Tigers chewed up the Crimson’s hopes and spit them out whole.

Harvard (10-11, 3-4 Ivy), riding a stunning 33-point performance from sophomore Drew Housman, pushed a depleted Princeton squad to its limit, but ultimately fell in a 74-68 double overtime thriller Friday night.

The Crimson has not won at Princeton’s Jadwin Gym since 1989. Friday night proved just another chapter in Harvard’s depressing history in this small New Jersey town.

This time, however, one huge twist in the story made the loss all the more agonizing. Housman, showcasing the very zenith of his speed, versatility, and scoring ability, seemed to take the Crimson on his shoulders, scoring 12 of the team’s final 14 points in regulation. Calling for the ball, he willed the team into the first overtime and then fought to reach a second, scoring all four of Harvard’s points in the first extra frame.

On any other night, in any other arena, this effort would prove more than adequate to secure a huge Ivy victory.

But this was against Princeton, in Princeton, where not only the Tigers basketball team, but also the demons of Jadwin past worked to defeat the Crimson.

Harvard appeared to have the Jadwin riddle solved as the second half started, jumping out to a 42-34 lead over the first three minutes of the frame.

By switching from man-to-man to an extended 3-2 zone, the Crimson was able to contain the sharp-shooting Princeton squad, who shot 6-of-14 from three-point range in the first half. Coupled with stellar offensive play from Harvard, the Crimson built upon its halftime lead of 32-29.

The only problem for Harvard: with the exception of two free throws from captain Jim Goffredo, nobody but Housman scored for the rest of the half. For more than 20 crucial minutes, from early in the second half until well into the second overtime, Housman was the Crimson offense.

And as the second overtime came, an exhausted Housman had nothing left in the tank, leaving the Princeton sharpshooters free to attack, punctuated by senior Kyle Koncz’s three to put the Tigers up 65-62 and in the lead for good.