Athlete of the Week: Chambers Perfect from Three Versus Vermont

Even though Siyani Chambers connected on all four of his three-point attempts in the first half of Harvard's 74-68 win over Vermont on Satruday, the sophomore point guard's second half performance proved to be the most heroic part of his day.

The Catamounts had swiftly taken the lead with just 11 minutes left in the game, hinting at a potential upset that would end Harvard’s 15-game home winning streak. To add to the Crimson's troubles, foul trouble had kept junior guard Wesley Saunders and senior forward Kyle Casey to reduced minutes, severely limiting their production to a combined 17 points. A staunch Vermont defense and an off day for co-captain Laurent Rivard held the senior sharpshooter to one-for-six from the three-point line and two-for-eight from the field.

But the Catamounts did not have an answer for Chambers, who proved to be the lone unguardable player for Harvard. With the game on the line and his team struggling to produce offensively, the Minnesota native sparked a 13-0 run with eight points and an assist to push his team to take the lead for good.

Chambers ended the day with a career-high 27 points, going nine-for-10 from the field and making all six of his shots from behind the arc. He also chipped in three assists, four rebounds, and two steals while playing more minutes than any other player on the floor.

“When [Chambers] is locked-in and engaged in the game, there’s not many people who can stop him,” Casey said.

After racking up a conference-best six Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors last season, Chambers earned his first career Ivy League Player of the Week nod for his efforts against Vermont. The sophomore's 27 points was the most in a game by a Harvard player since Crimson all-time leading scorer and current assistant coach Christian Webster '13 put up 29 against Mercer on Nov. 20, 2010.

Following the win on Saturday, Chambers was quick to credit his teammates for his efficient performance.

“I just happened to get some open shots and…knock them down,” Chambers said. “My teammates were all moving and making great skip passes, [and] I just happened to be open today… It’s a team effort.”