NOTEBOOK: Win Over Columbia Propels Men's Basketball to Best Start Ever

In 15 of its 22 games so far, the Harvard men’s basketball team has scored at least 63 points, averaging 65.7 points per game. But Columbia stalled the Crimson offense Saturday night, as Harvard failed to find its scoring stroke, finishing with its second lowest point total of the Ivy season so far.

Although the Lions held Harvard to just three more points than the 54 the Crimson scored in its defensive battle against Dartmouth on Jan. 21, Harvard was never really threatened by the Columbia offense, taking down the Lions, 57-52, at Lavietes Pavilion.

Junior point guard Brandyn Curry started off the scoring with a three pointer 34 seconds into the first half, and Harvard never gave up its early lead. Although Columbia tied it up three times—at three, five, and 16 points—the Crimson was able to close out its sixth conference win of the season, adding to the program’s best start of all time and securing its third straight 20-win season.

Harvard also improved upon the longest home winning streak in program history, pushing the mark to 25 consecutive wins, good for the fourth best current home winning streak in the nation. The Crimson also earned its first-ever 6-0 mark in league play and is currently riding an eight-game winning streak.

“Anytime you’re undefeated in conference play this time of year, it’s a pretty significant moment,” Amaker said. “To be able to do it for the first time here for us with that particular group is pretty special.”

The Crimson continues to lead the league defensively, allowing an average of 53.4 points per game.

FREE FOR ALL

Although Harvard earned an impressive 32 trips to the line Saturday night, the Crimson failed to capitalize on its free-throw attempts, going 21 for 32. Harvard struggled in the first half in particular, going 7 for 12 (58.3 percent) in the frame.

“We didn’t shoot foul shots well,” Amaker said. “That was really one of our Achilles’ heels tonight in terms of us not being able to stretch things out.”

“Foul shooting can be contagious, like anything else in basketball,” he continued. “If some of your better shooters go up there and somehow they don’t knock them down, it’s amazing how it flows in that direction.”

Sophomore sharpshooter Laurent Rivard got to the line early for the Crimson, drawing two fouls on shots behind the arc in the first five minutes of play.

But Rivard, who entered the game shooting 37 of 45 from the stripe, knocked down just three of his attempts in the opening minutes, setting the tone for Harvard’s worst free-throw shooting performance of the season.

“It was one of these nights,” Rivard said. “The first one I missed, I didn’t follow through according to Coach. It was just a bad night for me, but I just tried to keep shooting, and it paid off a little bit.”

Although Columbia only made it to the line four times on the night, the Lions fared much better in limited trips, finishing all eight of their free-throw attempts.

OFF BALANCE

The Crimson typically boasts one of the most balanced offenses in the league, with 10 players averaging at least a field goal per game. But Saturday night was all Rivard, Curry, and co-captain Keith Wright. The trio combined for 47 of Harvard’s 57 points, with Rivard leading the way with 20 points. Junior forward Kyle Casey contributed an additional five points for the Crimson.

It was not that the rest of the Harvard squad was missing shots—it was that they were not taking them. Aside from Curry, Wright, and Rivard, who each took at least 10 shots, the rest of the Crimson combined for six attempts from the field. Casey took three shots, and co-captain Oliver McNally managed just one, both season lows.

“We weren’t as aggressive as we should have been, trying to score while we were running our offense,” Amaker said. “[Columbia] did a nice job packing it in on us, making it tough for us to drive or even feed the post.”

The rest of the Harvard team struggled to score, combining for just five points, all from the free-throw line. Co-captain Oliver McNally contributed four of those points to help the Crimson secure its advantage late in the game.

And it wasn’t until 12:14 had expired in the second half that Harvard got its first bench point, courtesy of a free throw from rookie Steve Moundou-Missi.

Columbia’s bench had more of an impact Saturday night, outscoring its Harvard counterpart, 16-1.

—Staff writer Catherine E. Coppinger can be reached at ccoppinger@college.harvard.edu.