NOTEBOOK: Men's Basketball Makes History Against Killer P's

After 377 years, Harvard has seen nearly everything. Nearly, because coach Tommy Amaker and the Harvard men’s basketball team (22-4, 9-1 Ivy) continue to add new lines to the Crimson record books.

Saturday’s 59-47 win against Princeton (15-8, 3-6) at Jadwin Gymnasium marked the first time in history that Harvard has gone 4-0 in the season series against Penn and Princeton. The Killer P’s, whom Amaker called the “gold standard” of Ivy League basketball on Friday night, were outscored by 68 points across the four meetings.

At Jadwin, where the Crimson had not won in 24 tries, Harvard fell behind by double digits early but battled back behind a suffocating defense. Princeton shot 26 percent in the second half, totaling eight turnovers and just four assists. Forwards Will Barrett and Hans Brase combined for 25 points when the squads played in Cambridge. On Saturday, however, the two contributed only three points on 1-of-15 shooting.

STANDING TALL

Prior to the game, Princeton coach Mitch Henderson made several adjustments to his team’s lineup in hopes of congesting Harvard’s passing and driving lanes. Freshmen Spencer Weisz and Steven Cook were named starters, giving the Tigers extra size on the wings. With the rookies in the lineup, Princeton’s starting five had an average height of 6’6”.

For twelve minutes, it worked. When a Pete Miller three-point play put the Tigers up 12 with eight minutes to go, the Crimson had nearly as many turnovers—eight—as points--nine.

And then the two shortest players on the court took over.

Harvard’s two point guards—6’0” sophomore Siyani Chambers and 6’1” co-captain Brandyn Curry—had eight points in a 15-8 Crimson run to close the gap to five. Early in the second half, the pair combined for five points in a 7-0 burst that gave Harvard its first lead since the opening basket of the contest.  Princeton didn’t get closer than one the rest of the way.

For the game, the two guards combined for 30 points and nine assists, turning the ball over just four times. They were 6-of-6 at the line in the final seconds as Harvard scored 13 of the contest’s final 17 points.

“It was definitely a special moment for me,” Curry said. “I grew up an hour away from here…. That definitely ma[de] it special for me and it made the victory even more special when we won.”

MOUNDOU-NO-MISSI

With Curry and Chambers struggling out of the gate, junior forward Steve Moundou-Missi kept the Crimson within striking distance early with efficient post play. Moundou-Missi made all five of the shots he took on the night—four of which came in the first half—beating a variety of Tiger defenders down low.

Moundou-Missi finished with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and four blocks, including a swat of a Brase dunk attempt. With senior Kyle Casey in foul trouble, the junior did the bulk of the work inside on Brase and Barrett. In the second half, with Moundou-Missi playing nearly every minute, Princeton had just four points in the paint.

“A tremendous effort out of Steve,” Amaker said. “For him to be able to play those kind of minutes and not be in foul trouble…I’m very pleased with that.”

STAYING THE COURSE

With Moundou-Missi warding off the paint, it was up to the Crimson perimeter defenders to run the Tigers off the three-point line. While the team as a whole held Princeton to just 33 percent shooting from downtown, the toughest mark—T.J. Bray, the league leader in points and assists—fell to junior wing Wesley Saunders.

Saunders, who led the conference in scoring last season, had a quiet night on the offensive end, tallying seven points and two assists. But his defense on Bray was crucial for the team’s late-game run.

Bray made just 3-of-8 shots in the second half. After nailing a three with 9:21 remaining to bring Princeton within one, the senior did not score until there was just 43 seconds left on the clock. On the night, Saunders took the opposing senior’s playmaking ability out of the game, holding him to just two assists.

“I put a lot on Wesley’s shoulders, and we all demand and expect a lot from him,” Amaker said. “For Wesley to have to challenge [Bray] all over the floor and be locked in on every possession is hard, and I am sure that took its toll somewhat on the offensive end.”

—Staff writer David Freed can be reached at david.freed@thecrimson.com. Follow him on twitter @CrimsonDPFreed.