Free Throws Down Men's Basketball in Final Minute against Rice

The Harvard men’s basketball team scored 42 of its 63 total points from long range on Wednesday night, shooting a blistering 67 percent from behind the arc, but it could not overcome Rice’s second-half comeback as the Owls (4-5) beat the Crimson 67-63 at Tudor Fieldhouse.

Harvard (4-5) took the lead in the final minute with two free throws by junior guard Jeremy Lin, but Rodney Foster answered for the hosts with a three pointer with 40 seconds to play to give his team a 62-61 lead it would not relinquish.

Free throws turned out to be the deciding factor in a game that remained close until the Crimson grabbed an 11-point lead about halfway through the second half. The Owls were had a 29-14 free-throw attempt advantage on the game.

Rice did not even need excellent shooting from the line to mount its comeback—it only made 62 percent of its free throw shots for the game—as the pure advantage in quantity proved to be enough to squeak by the hot-shooting Harvard team.

Harvard freshman forward Peter Boehm—starting his second game in a row as classmate Keith Wright sits out due to an illness—led the long-distance charge, making 7-of-9 three-point attempts on his way to 23 points, a game high and a new career mark. His hot hand did not see many minutes in the second half due to foul trouble—he ended up fouling out with four minutes left in the game—but the Crimson shot well enough without him. The team’s 78 percent mark from downtown in the second half was a key factor in the surge that almost saw a Harvard victory.

The Crimson’s foul trouble led to more than just Boehm sitting out much of the second half. The Owls were granted six free throws in the last 30 seconds of the contest, and by connecting on five of them they were able to outscore Harvard 5-2 to close out their victory.

Boehm’s first half performance—17 points, 5-of-6 from long range—allowed the Crimson to enter the locker room after the first period with a one-point lead.

Lin chipped in 17 points for Harvard but shot just 29 percent from the floor.

Harvard faces off against Maine on Saturday for its third straight road game.