Men’s Basketball Drops Second-Straight at Veterans Classic

Harvard men’s basketball team (1-2, 0-0 Ivy) dropped its second game of the season to American University on Sunday by a decisive score of 67-55.

The Eagles never took their foot off the gas, playing hard through all four quarters and maintaining an advantage throughout the entirety of play. American never trailed, with momentum evading Harvard.

The usual suspects played the majority of the game for the Crimson, but the team couldn’t seem to find its sweet spot against the Washington squad. Perhaps it was the rust from the long trek down to Maryland, but one would think that the tight loss to Navy on Friday would have shocked the Harvard bench into playing with more fire to return home with at least a mixed bag of results.

Freshman guard Robert Hinton continued to make his mark for Head Coach Tommy Amaker's squad, posting a team-high19 points – albeit a marked decrease from his astounding 27 and 26-point performances through his first two college contests. Bouncing back from an injury that sidelined him for much of the 2023-2024 season, senior Evan Nelson was right behind Hinton with a respectable 15-point performance. Ending the day perfect from the free throw line, the Tuscon, Ariz. native shot 50% from behind the arc, going two-for-four.

Junior co-captain and Crimson Sports Editor Chandler Piggé continued with his steady and level-headed play, leading by example on both ends. The Phillips Exeter product shot an efficient 71% from the field, including one-for-one on three-pointers, showcasing his skill in an area that the Crimson needs to figure out heading into its stretch of Ivy League play.

Outside of Piggé and Nelson, the Crimson struggled mightily from deep, landing just five of 21 shots from behind the arc. It was also a top-heavy effort for the Crimson, with only six Harvard players notching points on the day, revealing the lack of depth available to Amaker right now.

Piggé was the true standout of the game, making his mark on both ends of the hardwood. The 6’5 guard made his presence known with nine rebounds, two steals and four assists. Amaker’s squad had trouble defending the fast break as a unit, though, allowing the Eagles to score 14 points on unsettled opportunities.

“In terms of what we are looking to improve on heading into Northeastern, transition defense will be a main focus during practice this week,” Piggé noted.

While the team’s free throw percentage improved from its Friday game against Navy, clocking in at 66% versus a measly 53% mark against the Midshipmen, the Crimson will surely be allotting some of its practice time this week to getting the squad back into shape from the line.

For a Harvard team that seemed to have found its groove last season, a disappointingly slow start has defined the program’s initial non-conference play. While the team won’t face off against any Ancient Eight opponents until its league-opener versus Princeton on Jan. 11, it must work through its kinks against inter-conference foes if there is any hope of clinching a spot in the coveted Ivy Madness tournament, after a narrow miss last year.

The team will hope to find its rhythm in the short turnaround between the game against the Eagles and its next contest against Charles River rival Northeastern. Tune in on ESPN+ at 7:00 p.m. tomorrow to see if Piggé and Hinton can snap their squad out of its losing streak.

—Staff writer Katharine A. Forst can be reached at katharine.forst@thecrimson.com.