Three Things to Watch: Harvard-Wofford

Men’s Basketball beat writer Stephen Gleason highlights three things to watch ahead of Harvard’s New Year’s Eve matinee with Wofford (2:30 PM EST). The Crimson (5-7) is coming off a second-place finish in last week’s Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic while the Terriers (3-8) are riding a four-game losing streak dating back to Dec. 6. Thursday will mark the first meeting between the two schools.

HOME COOKING

Harvard returns to Lavietes Pavilion for a home game for the first time since Nov. 25. The Crimson is 2-1 this season in Cambridge, with wins coming against MIT and Bryant. Thursday’s contest marks the start of a four-game homestand for Harvard. Since the beginning of the 2010-2011 season, the Crimson is 63-6 at Lavietes. The .913 home winning percentage is the eighth-highest in the country over that span. Harvard went 12-2 at home last season and has not had more than two home losses in a season since the 2008-2009 campaign.

Wofford has struggled away from Benjamin Johnson Arena this season, winning just one of its eight road contests. Last year’s Terriers rode a 10-5 road record to a Southern Conference championship and an NCAA Tournament berth.

STARTING STRONG

The Crimson’s success in Hawaii last week was spearheaded by hot starts on the offensive end of the floor. In the first halves of its three games in the Diamond Head Classic, Harvard outscored its opponents, 108-93. The Crimson rode double-digit first half leads to victories over BYU and Auburn. The average of 36 points in the first half was more than five points above the team’s average in its first nine games of the season. In its last six games, Harvard is averaging 73.3 points per game. The Crimson’s starters are averaging nearly 57 points per game in its last three contests while reserve guard Corbin Miller averaged 10.7 points per game in Hawaii.

On the season, Wofford is averaging just 27.9 first half points per game while the Terriers are allowing over 33 points a game.

EMERGING FORCE

The Diamond Head Classic may have been the performance Harvard has been looking for from junior forward Zena Edosomwan since the highly touted Los Angeles native committed to the Crimson in 2012. Edosomwan was named to the All-Tournament team and received Ivy League Player of the Week honors.

The junior averaged 20.3 points and 13 rebounds in Hawaii and is averaging a double-double on the season (14.6 points, 10.8 rebounds). Edosomwan’s presence on the glass will be key for Harvard against Wofford. On the season, the Terriers are being outrebounded by its opponents by 4.4 rebounds per game.