NOTEBOOK: Strong Performance by Backcourt Duo Helps Men's Basketball Edge Cornell

ITHACA, N.Y.—With a win Saturday night in Cornell’s Newman Arena, the Harvard men’s basketball team clinched at least a share of its second straight Ivy League title—just the second in program history.

But the 67-63 victory against the Big Red (12-16, 7-7 Ivy) didn’t come easy for the Crimson (26-4, 12-2).

“We’ve been a tough basketball team this weekend,” Harvard coach Tommy Amaker said. “Our toughness and our togetherness certainly allows us the opportunity to win on the road in this league.”

Cornell struggled from the field in the first half, scoring just 21 points on 32.1 percent shooting and a 14.3 percent mark from long range. But the Big Red came out of the locker room on a hot streak, outscoring the Crimson, 11-5, in the first five minutes of the second half, including a 6-0 initial run to close the six-point gap Harvard held at halftime after less than two minutes had elapsed.

The Big Red capitalized on Harvard’s mistakes, earning 15 points off of turnovers and 10 fast break points to Harvard’s 12 and 0 points, respectively.

But Harvard’s hot shooting proved to be too much for the Big Red. The Crimson went 21 of 43 from the field and 12 for 26 from three, netting an especially impressive 91.7 percent of second-half free throws after a dismal two-for-five effort from the line in the first.

BABY GOT BACKCOURT

Despite going zero for three from the field in the first half, junior point guard Brandyn Curry made four straight three-point attempts in the second frame—all within a span of four minutes—to keep Harvard in the game during a crucial Cornell hot streak.

Curry—who finished the night 4-of-5 from deep—single-handedly spurred the Crimson offense at the beginning of the second half, with junior forward Kyle Casey and rookie Steve Moundou-Missi contributing Harvard’s only other points on two free throws apiece in the first 9:56 of the second half.

It wasn’t until nearly 10 minutes had expired on the second half that Keith Wright netted Harvard’s first non-Curry points from the field.

Co-captain Oliver McNally followed took over later in the game, leading the team with 13 second-half points including two late three-pointers.

McNally—who netted a team-high 17 points on the night—once again found himself with the ball in his hands as his opponent resorted to a last-ditch fouling effort. The senior was able to capitalize, draining all four of his free throw attempts in the final 20 seconds, closing out a perfect, six-for-six night at the line.

Harvard relied heavily on its three-point prowess Saturday night, attempting 26 shots and earning a total of 36 points from deep. And the backcourt duo of Curry and McNally combined for 21 of those long-range points, as the Crimson shot an impressive 53.8 percent from three in the second half.

SENIORITIS

In the opening frame of a game played on Cornell’s senior night, it was freshman Dave LeMore who led the Big Red, scoring six points off the bench in the first half on the way to a perfect, four-for-four night from the field.

Harvard was able to hold Cornell’s two leading scorers—senior guards Drew Ferry and Chris Wroblewski—to just seven points total in the first half. Ferry—who currently sits 10th on the Ivy League scoring list with 11.5 points per game—shot just one for four in the half, while the Crimson held Wroblewski to an ice-cold, one for seven shooting effort.

But Wroblewski caught fire in the second half, shooting five for nine from the field and two for three from three, as the senior finished his final game in a Cornell uniform with 19 points and seven assists, good for a game high in both categories, while also contributing two steals for Cornell.

“What a career [Wroblewski] has had,” Amaker said. “And I told him that. He’s an outstanding player. He has some of the things we just talk about with our kids, toughness and heart. He put his team on his back and tried to will them to victory.”

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