First Game of Road Jaunt Ends in Win

NEW YORK—On the eve of arguably the most important game in Harvard men’s basketball history, Crimson coach Tommy Amaker expected his players to stay focused on the task at hand.

Harvard (14-3, 3-0 Ivy) lived up to its coach’s standards, blowing past Columbia (6-11, 0-3) on the road, 74-45, the night before the Crimson’s much-anticipated matchup against Ivy League favorite Cornell.

“I would have been incredibly disappointed if there was any thought or inclination at all that our kids were looking past anybody,” Amaker said. “That’s not who we are.”

The Crimson stayed true to its identity, leading throughout the game en route to the 29-point trouncing at Francis S. Levien Gymnasium, which allowed Amaker to rest his starters for significant minutes in the second half.

The Lions entered the Friday night contest coming off two lopsided losses to Cornell, but were expected to challenge Harvard with their skilled outside shooting.

Instead, Columbia, which came into the game ranked fifth nationally in three-point percentage, came out flat. The squad shot just 1-of-11 from deep and 33.3% from the field.

“I thought tonight we did a good job of executing our plays—I just feel like we just couldn’t make enough baskets,” Lions coach Joe Jones said. “We had some good looks and didn’t knock them down.”

The Crimson, on the other hand, had six different players knock down shots from beyond the arc, registering an 8-of-16 mark from deep.

Columbia’s shooting woes coupled with Harvard’s balanced offensive attack—nine Crimson players notched at least four points—led to a game that was all but decided at the half, with Harvard entering the break sporting a 15-point advantage.

The Crimson attacked the hoop early on, scoring three baskets in just over a minute of play to take the early 6-0 lead.

Co-captain Jeremy Lin got things started for the Crimson, slipping past his defender on the game’s opening possession for a backdoor layup off a pass from sophomore Oliver McNally.

Harvard’s stingy defense forced two turnovers on the Lions’ opening possessions, and Lin found a path to the basket for the second time, this time elevating over his defender and switching the ball from his right to his left hand before tossing the ball into the hoop.

Lin continued to display his offensive prowess, knocking down a mid-range jumper, a three-pointer, and another layup for 11 points in his first eleven minutes of play on 5-of-5 shooting.

“Jeremy’s performance as usual was sensational,” Amaker said. “I thought he was dynamic in his way of leading us in the first few minutes of the game. I thought he was able to set the tone for our team and we usually feed off the things that he’s capable of doing for us.”

And feed off Lin they did.

After Columbia’s leading scorer Noruwa Agho cut the lead to three with a mid-range jumper and a three pointer from the left wing, the Crimson countered with a 14-7 run that extended its lead to double digits.

Freshman Kyle Casey sparked the Harvard run, rising above his defender and then letting go a three ball that swished through the net. Agho tried to keep the Lions afloat, knocking down a jumper from the left corner, but McNally hit another deep ball on the Crimson’s following possession.

The Harvard bench erupted moments later when Lin gave the Crimson the 24-16 lead after he received a pass from freshman Brandyn Curry a foot beyond the arc and sent it through the hoop.

McNally capped the run with a final three pointer from the left wing that gave Harvard a commanding 29-19 lead with just over six minutes remaining in the first half.

Poor shooting the rest of the way stifled any chances of a Columbia comeback as the Lions were unable to chip away at their 15-point halftime deficit.

As Harvard’s lead grew to 20 midway through the second period, the Crimson starters were granted the unusual reward of rest in preparation for their hyped matchup the next night.

But despite the excitement and significance of the Cornell game looming over its head, Harvard managed to keep its focus and come away with the large victory over its weaker Ivy opponent.

“Saturday night doesn’t have any significance for us if we don’t play well and do our job here on Friday,” Amaker said. “I think it’s the mark of a team that’s maturing and growing to be able take that to heart.”

—Staff writer Martin Kessler can be reached at martin.kessler@college.harvard.edu.