CRIMSON LIVE: Men's Hoops vs. Columbia

[:00] That dunk seals the game for the Crimson. The wheels simply fell apart once Columbia decided to pound it on the inside. Baumann and #55 scored points at will down low and Harvard had no one to match up against them. Harvard falls to 1-7 in Ivy League play. FINAL SCORE, Columbia 73, Harvard 64.

[:14] Off the turnover by Lin, Columbia drives it down, and Asenso Ampim EMPHATICALLY throws it down for the dunk. The Lion fans go crazy. It's game over for the Crimson. Columbia 73, Harvard 64.

[:43] Columbia shooting free throws. Kevin Bulger misses the first, makes the second. Harvard still in it. The Crimson bring it down the court, but can't find a good shot. Way too much time wasted, Housman calls for the ball and puts up a prayer of a shot. Poor half court offense by Harvard. Columbia 60, Harvard 64.

[1:11] Harvard switch to a full court press, Harris pulls down the board. Good tactics by Amaker. Housman drops the basket on the other end AND gets fouled. Still some life left for Harvard. Of course, Housman nails the free throw. Columbia 69, Harvard 64.

[1:51] And again, Columbia shows its dominance down low. This time Baumann gets the best of Harris for another easy basket. [Columbia 69, Harvard 59.]

[2:38] #55 misses an incredibly easy layup, but NO ONE is there for the board. #55 gets his own board and puts it back for two. Unger and Harris are simply outmatched. [Columbia 67, Harvard 59]

[3:18] Housman, bless his soul, is still fighting out there despite the apathetic crowd. He nails a three pointer to try and keep it close. Still plenty of time remaining. Dropkick Murphys playing at Lavietes. Let's go Boston? [Columbia 65, Harvard 59]

[3:28] Harris is carrying four fouls, but Harvard needs him out on the court. Columbia is pulling away and the Crimson still have no answer down low. The Columbia fans are DOMINATING Harvard. Even the dance team can't keep them quiet. It's been a miserable weekend for Harvard's basketball aficionados. Columbia 65, Harvard 56.

[4:32] After the miss, Harvard brings it down the court, McGeary running aimlessly on the baseline, kicks it out to Housman. Housman drives it down the middle and draws the block. That is Columbia's 20th foul of the night, so Housman gets to shoot from the charity stripe. Housman, still perfect, makes both free throws. Columbia 60, Harvard 56.

Columbia is having their way with the Crimson in the paint. The Nwachukwu (#55) and Baumann combination is overwhelming Harvard's front court.

[5:22] The fans don't like it, but the ref made a great call, calling a charge on Jeremy Lin. Lin was recklessly dribbling the ball and the Columbia defender displaying solid fundamentals getting his feet set. Columbia cradling a four point lead, give it to their big man, #55. He reciprocates with the basket AND the foul. Free throw coming up. Columbia 60, Harvard 54.

[5:59] COUNT IT, HUGE THREE BY UNGER. Way to stop the momentum there. Harvard pulls within two now. Let's see if the Crimson defense can  finally derail the Baumann train. Columbia 56, Harvard 54.

[6:44] Baumann is standing very tall amongst his peers right now. Harris mishandles the defensive board and Baumann capitalizes with a put back and a foul. He makes the free throw to complete the three point play. Columbia 56, Harvard 51.

[7:43] Nice no look pass from Lin to Housman. Housman fakes, defenders goes flying over his head, and Housman calmly puts it in. Columbia 53, Harvard 51.

[8:39] Baumann showing his talents on both ends of the court. Dives out of nowhere to grab the steal off of Housman's pass. The Crimson's Doug Miller, recently inserted into the game, asserts himself in the paint and rejects Baumann. On the other end, Miller draws a foul and makes one out of two free throws. (Columbia now has 19 team fouls) Columbia 51, Harvard 49.

[9:34] Baumann isn't the fourth leading scorer in the Ivy for nothing. Calmly backs Harris down and makes the basket. Columbia is building momentum. Columbia 51, Harvard 48.

[10:36] The crowd just got to Columbia's Kashif Sweet. He airballed his first free throw and misses his second. Anything but sweet there. Unfortunately for the Crimson, Columbia gets the turnover and makes a quick basket in transition to take the lead for the first time in the half. Columbia 49, Harvard 48.

[11:27] THIS IS A DIFFICULT JOB FOLKS. I JUST GOT THE WIND KNOCKED OUT OF ME. One of Columbia's forwards crashed into the Press Row, driving the table right into my gut. I got the wind knocked out of me, but I'm ok. Harvard isn't however, as they're clinging on to a one point lead. Harvard 48, Columbia 47.

[13:00] Harris with a crucial block on Columbia's Baumann. Ball still on Columbia's side, Unger and Baumann battling in the blocks, Harvard's zone is stifling....but not stifling enough. Columbia with the basket. Harvard 46, Columbia 42.

[13:41] Amaker wisely calls a timeout. Shades of last night's game against Cornell are starting to haunt this reporter. Out of the pause, Columbia draws another foul (17th of the night). Housman with the one and one opportunity. He makes both, obviously. Harvard 46, Columbia 40.

[14:09] Columbia is somehow finding its way back into the game. Following a 3 pointer from K.J. Matsui, they draw the offensive foul and drive it down the court for another basket. Harvard 44, Columbia 40.

[14:54] The Lions are racking up their foul count right now. They're already up to 16. Harris makes both free throws to push the lead to nine. Harvard 44, Columbia 35.

[15:28] Jeremy Lin is reaching baller status here at Lavietes. Shakes his defense out of his shoes, pounds it in the inside for the basket.....and ONE. Someone call UHS, Columbia's Mack Montgomery might need an ankle X-ray. [Harvard 42, Columbia 33]

[16:19] Columbia and Harvard seemed to have switched offensive philosophies during the halftime break. Columbia is chucking up threes and Harvard is showing versatility in its attack. Another foul on Columbia, Harris hits the floor hard. He pops right back up and nails both free throws. Harvard 40, Columbia 31.

[17:50] Harvard showing some nice composure on offense. Not settling just for threes, it seems Amaker has made an adjustment and told his guys to start attacking the lanes. It's working too. Housman draws the shooting foul. Naturally, he makes both. Harvard 38, Columbia 31.

[19:04] Harris showing some nice post moves against Columbia's John Baumann. Harris fakes to his right, then proceeds to own Baumann going left. Doesn't everyone in the Ivy know Harris loves the left? Nevertheless, Harvard 36, Columbia 29.

[19:41] We're back! Harvard starts off with the ball, Pusar draws a foul on the offensive board. Nothing to show for it on the scoreboard. Harvard 34, Columbia 29.

Halftime food selection.....all veggie pizza? Aidan doesn't seem to mind it, but alas, I need some 'carne' on my pizza to enjoy it.

HALFTIME RECAP
- Housman has already racked up 18 minutes of action tonight. This coming on the heels of a 36 minute game last night. The kid has heart, but one has to wonder how much fuel he has left in that tank.
- Housman leading all scorers with 11 points. He's also added 4 boards and 3 steals.
- Harvard shot 15 threes, only make five of them for a below average 33%. Luckily, Columbia is also shooting 33% from the three point arc.
- #55, Ben Nwachukwu leads Columbia with 8 points. Now you know why I've been electing to write #55 instead of his name. (Much respect, much respect)


I'll tell you what, I love what the folks at Lavietes do here at halftime. They let local elementary school kids run a five on five for 8 minutes. The kids are having the time of their lives and the crowd cheers after every basket. Take me back to elementary school where I could watch Power Rangers all day and munch on Cookie Crisp.

At the half, HARVARD 34, Columbia 29.

[:00] Ballsy play by Housman in the last seconds of the half. Coming down the court after a Columbia basket, Housman has the ball in his hands with six seconds remaining. No one open. Dribbling in front of his defender, no options on either side, clock winding down, what does he do? Housman simply pulls up and DRAINS the three at the buzzer to put Harvard up five. Pure class folks, pure class.

[:55] #55 just pulled an NBA-esque post move on Unger for the basket. Harvard clinging on to a one point lead. Harvard 30, Columbia 27.

[2:36] Housman showing some nice ball skills AND strength on his latest basket. He fearlessly drove it down the paint, rises above Columbia's #55 (Who has at least 5 inches on him), gets body checked but still manages to gently guide the ball in. Harvard 29, Columbia 27.

[3:04] Fitzgerald pulls the board off a Columbia free throw, McGeary proceeds to drain a three on the other end. Harvard building some momentum, draws the offensive charge. Harvard 27, Columbia 25.

[4:00] Columbia comes out from a timeout and runs a smooth half court offense. #55 draws the foul and sinks both free throws. Columbia 25, Harvard 24.

[4:32] Stifling defense by the Crimson, forces Columbia into a terrible shot. Pusar with the offensive board AND the basket on the other end. Harvard takes its first lead in a long, long time. The crowd starting to get into it. Kanye West playing from the PA system. Welcome to the good life? Harvard 24, Columbia 23.

[4:59] Turnover Columbia, Lin with the pickoff. Back on the other end, Harris showing some tenacity, catches the ball in the paint and stuffs home for the and one opportunity. Harris sinks the free throw. Just like that, it's a one point game. Columbia 23, Harvard 22.

[5:26] Housman with the nice drive for the lay-up. Is the game starting to come alive? Let's hope for my sake it does. Columbia 23, Harvard 19.

[6:34] Unger breaks the deadlock! Columbia 21, Harvard 17.

[6:50] Still no score. There was more scoring in today's Manchester United v. Arsenal game than there has been here in Lavietes. Ugh.

[7:53] There hasn't been a basket scored in nearly four minutes. Gotta love Ivy League basketball!

[7:57] The silence in Lavietes is almost deafening folks. Not even the Harvard cheerleaders can muster a peep out of this comatose crowd.

[9:04] Another three, and you guessed it, another miss. Is it fatigue or the staunch Columbia defense? I hate to take anything away from the Lions but it looks like a case of tired legs out there. Same scoreline, Columbia 21, Harvard 14.

[10:05] Third straight turnover by Harvard, trying to force it into the post.

[10:39] Starters back on the court for Harvard. Unger, Pusar, McGeary, Housman, and.....Dinç? The big man for Turkey is proving his worth so far. The Crimson perimeter defense.....is not. Columbia hits another three. Harvard's offense is stagnating right now (Where's the inside presence?) Columbia 21, Harvard 14.

[11:24] #3 for Columbia is running a 4.4 out there tonight. He drives past the Crimson's half-court defense and dishes it off smoothly to his big man for the assist. Columbia 18, Harvard 14.

[12:10] Another three, another miss. Columbia 14, Harvard 11.

[13:20] Perhaps the Crimson are weary of Columbia's significantly bigger front line, but they need to show some cojones and drive it in the paint instead of settling for threes.

[14:20] Wise decision by Amaker to put on the second unit. We've got Fitzgerald, Carey, and Cem Dinc, the Turkish-German enigma all on the floor. Housman, however, is running the floor. (Keep in mind he played 36 out of 40 minutes last night)

[15:04] Timeout from Amaker. Off the break, Harvard seems to have relaxed on defense. Columbia is trying to press the issue however, all five men are playing an up-tempo Mike D'Antoni style offense. Let's see if Harvard can keep up with this frantic pace after playing a grueling game last night.

[15:46] Columbia starting to come alive from the three-point arc. Harvard began pulling away with an 11-5 lead, but the Lions have clawed right back on the strength of their guard play. Harvard 11, Columbia 10.

We're here live at Lavietes for the second straight night bringing you exciting Ivy League action! We've got the Lions from Columbia vs. our fair Crimson as Amaker's boys try to recover from last night's devastating collapse.


                                                                                              - MAURICIO A. CRUZ