NOTEBOOK: Men's Basketball Boosted by McCarthy's Offense, Okolie's Defense

After losing its first three games against Division I competition, the Harvard men’s basketball team (2-3) ended its longest losing streak since 2009 with a 35-point rout of the visiting Bryant Bulldogs (2-3). Freshman Tommy McCarthy set career highs with 16 points and eight assists and the Crimson shot nearly 55 percent from the floor in the 80-45 victory.

FINDING HIS STROKE

Coming into the game, McCarthy’s struggles were an easy emblem for the team’s early-season woes. The freshman turned the ball over 15 times against just 11 assists through four games while shooting 22 percent on nearly nine shots a game.

Early on, it was clear the freshman was determined to rewrite the script.

Six seconds into the game, McCarthy found senior forward Agunwa Okolie inside for a game-opening layup. After a missed layup by Bryant on the other end, the freshman made a three-pointer with a hand in his face as the shot clock ran down. The Crimson ended up scoring on its first seven possessions of the game, with McCarthy contributing via pass or a bucket on five.

“I thought the efficiency was really there for our team,” Harvard coach Tommy Amaker said. “We talked about each individual remembering their roles and doing their jobs and how the sum of that was going to add to something we were going to feel good about.”

Despite shooting poorly throughout, Bryant stayed within striking distance for the first 12 minutes due to four Crimson turnovers, one by McCarthy. Coming out of the under-eight time out, however, the Harvard essentially put the game away behind the efforts of its point guard. During the 12-0 run that pushed the lead to 22, McCarthy had five points and one assist, including another trey as the shot clock ran down.

“I think that Tommy did a magnificent job … of having us in position to execute in late-clock situations,” Amaker said. “If you can execute and score late-clock, that’s a hard thing for a defense to overcome.”

McCarthy also flashed an improved on-court connection with junior center Zena Edosomwan. After assisting on just two Edosomwan field goals through four games, the freshman found the upperclassman six times on Wednesday night. The junior ended the night with seven makes on nine attempts, tallying an efficient 14 points and five rebounds.

SENIOR STALWART

While the highlight of the game was the Crimson’s offensive explosion, Harvard quietly held its fifth straight opponent under 40 percent shooting from the field. Bryant connected on just three of its 20 three-point attempts and its starters went a collective 0-for-12 from behind the three-point line.

While Edosomwan led the team with three blocks, Amaker singled out the defensive effort of Okolie after the game.

Okolie, who is tasked in every game with guarding the opponent’s best perimeter player, led the team with nine rebounds while holding Bulldog guard Spencer Ware to just 10 points on 5-of-12 shooting. Ware, who came into the game averaging 18.5 points a contest, matched a season low in points and set a career high with five turnovers.

Ware’s struggles are nothing new for Okolie’s mark. Nearly without fail, the best wing player opposing the Crimson has struggled this year. While Providence’s Kris Dunn had 32 points in Harvard’s second game, each of the other player Okolie has shadowed—UMass’ Trey Davis, MIT’s Justin Pedley, Boston College’s Eli Carter, and Ware—have averaged 9.8 points on 30 percent shooting against the senior wingman.

In their other games, the foursome has averaged 15.4 points on 47 percent shooting. All four set season lows in point scored when facing Okolie.

“His presence on the court is critical,” coach Tommy Amaker said. “… I am very pleased and proud of his effort throughout the whole season and how he has played for us.”

—Staff writer David Freed can be reached at david.freed@thecrimson.com.