Men's Basketball Holds Off Fordham, 94-86

NEW YORK, N.Y.—Playing in the oldest college basketball venue still in use, the Harvard men’s basketball team set out to make a little history of its own in the squad’s final game of 2013. On Saturday at Rose Hill Gym, six players from the Crimson (11-1) scored double-digit points to drop Fordham (7-5), 94-86. The Crimson has not broken the 90-point barrier in nearly a year, and has not scored 94 points since rolling over Daniel Webster in Dec. 2008.

“It was a tremendous effort by both teams,” Harvard coach Tommy Amaker said. “I thought both teams played in spurts and hit multiple runs throughout the game…. We’re so pleased with the balance that we’ve shown. I think that’s been one of the keys to our team.”

After sitting out for all but two contests thus far this season, co-captain Brandyn Curry returned to the floor in front of a sold-out crowd. Curry, who according to Amaker is still in the stages of recovering from injury, played only nine minutes and notched three assists and two rebounds. The senior was part of a powerful backcourt effort that scrambled to defend a Rams offense thin on the inside and tough at the perimeter.

“Certainly [Curry is] a ways away, but it was good to have him in there,” Amaker said. “He’s still not who he has been for us, but he’s got to work himself back.”

Crucial at the perimeter for the Crimson was sophomore guard Siyani Chambers, who led the team with 19 points over 39 minutes of play.  Chambers, who put up a career-high 27 points during Harvard’s last outing against Vermont, went 5-for-9 from behind the arc and doled out a team-high nine assists on Saturday. A trey from the sophomore spurred a 12-5 scoring run halfway through the first frame that propelled the Crimson to lead by 11 heading into the locker room break.

While the first half saw Chambers dominate from long, the second half saw the emergence of Fordham freshman guard John Severe, who converted five of his seven three-point attempts to finish with 29 points. Branden Frazier, the Rams' lone senior, led all scorers with 31.

“[Harvard is] a good team; they’re a veteran team,” Fordham coach Tom Pecora said. “I think Harvard did a wonderful job of weathering the storm when we got it down to six a couple of times, but that’s why you have a slew of veteran players. Right now [Frazier] is the only senior out there for us.”

As Harvard big men Steve Moundou-Missi, Kyle Casey, and Agunwa Okolie aided the Crimson in extending its lead early in the second half with flashy dunks and mid-range jumpers, it was Severe who kept the Rams in the game. The rookie drilled three treys in a row to close Harvard’s advantage to six halfway through the second stanza. Again, with Fordham down by double digits with under five minutes to play, Severe stepped up with efficient long-ball play.

“He’s as good of a scorer as we’ve played all season,” Amaker said. “He’s so explosive, and you see how streaky he can become in terms of once he sees that ball go in the basket one or two times, it’s like an ocean for him.”

Despite four lead changes and five ties, the night was still Harvard’s. Okolie and Casey each provided 17 points apiece. Casey led the Crimson’s effort on the glass with nine boards and eclipsed 15 points for the third time this season. Okolie, a lanky 6’8” forward, set a career-high as he missed just one field goal over seven attempts. The sophomore came off the bench to capitalize on Harvard’s interior advantage, and did so with eight points in the paint.

“I think [Okolie] played with a confidence and a fearlessness that was great to see,” Amaker said. “He’s the kind of player that we’ve been waiting for a breakthrough.”

As a last push by Frazier saw the Crimson’s lead trimmed to four, Okolie helped Harvard hold on at the charity stripe. Harvard knocked down eight of 10 tries from the line during the final minute of play.

The win comes as redemption for the Crimson's last visit to Rose Hill nearly two years ago, when the Rams held off then-No.21/22 Harvard for a 60-54 upset. On Saturday, it was a different story entirely, as the Crimson waits just outside the national Top-25 with the conference season just a few weeks away.

“I haven’t even thought about it to be very honest,” said Amaker of breaking into the national rankings. “It would be wonderful if those kinds of things come our way, but we certainly have to keep improving and keep winning.”

—Staff writer Cordelia F. Mendez can be reached at cordelia.mendez@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @CrimsonCordelia.