GAME OF THE YEAR RUNNER-UP: Tigers again hand men’s hoops heartbreak in stunning comeback at Lavietes

When Harvard held off Princeton down the stretch last year at home, it appeared that the Tigers’ remarkable penchant for dishing out last-second agony to the Crimson had finally been overcome.

This year, however, Princeton proved its cruel dominance of Harvard basketball is still very much in effect.

Trailing by six points with under a minute to play in this February’s game at Lavietes Pavilion, the Tigers came back to pull out a 60-59 win on Noah Savage’s baseline jumper with less than a second to play. The impossible victory moved to the top of the long list of Princeton’s tormenting wins over Harvard in recent years, including 2004’s double-overtime thriller and the 2001 game won by guard Kyle Wente’s desperate heave at the buzzer.

“Heartbreaking, for sure,” said Crimson coach Frank Sullivan following this year’s loss. “Not only the most heartbreaking loss of the season, but in a while.”

Harvard led 59-53 with 1:16 to play before a layup from Tigers guard Edwin Buffmire set up a withering full court press. Freshman point guard Drew Housman tried launching the ball to senior center Brian Cusworth, but a midair collision led to a turnover and a three from guard Scott Greenman to make it 59-58.

With the ref’s whistles pocketed, more contact on the next possession led to another turnover, putting the ball in Greenman’s hands with 20 seconds left. The senior point guard, who killed Harvard by scoring the final seven points in the 2004 double-OT win, calmly passed out of a double-team to find Savage for the open look.

Even before the shot went up, everyone in the arena knew that the force of history would guide the ball through the net.

—CALEB W. PEIFFER