Williams, Navy Sink M. Basketball at Buzzer

After battling back from a nine-point halftime deficit, the Harvard men's basketball team's gritty performance Saturday night was torpedoed by the sharp shooting of Navy point guard Chris Williams.

With just four seconds left on the clock, Williams nailed a 10-foot jump shot in heavy traffic to give the Midshipmen (4-3) a dramatic 85-83 victory over the Crimson (3-2).

Williams dribbled into the high post, where sophomore point guard Drew Gellert picked him up and jumped to block his shot. But Williams switched to his left hand in midair and flipped the game-winner around Gellert's outstretched arms.

"Drew had Chris covered," Harvard Coach Frank Sullivan said. "And he made a great defensive play. He forced Chris to adjust his shot in midair and take the shot with his left hand. Chris just made a great elevated shot. It was as simple as that."

Gellert had one last chance to steal a win for the Crimson, but at the buzzer, his desperation shot from just inside halfcourt bounced wide.

After trailing throughout the first half, a different Harvard team came out of the locker room after halftime and fought its way into a see-saw battle that saw eight lead changes in the final six minutes of the game.

"I think we played well," Sullivan said. "In the second half we showed excellent character and made some great plays."

It was the third straight game in which the Crimson scored 50 or more points in the second half, and its second loss of those three.

Junior forward Dan Clemente led the Crimson with 24 points on 7-of-11 shooting, but didn't score a point in the final 12 minutes, while freshman point guard Elliott Prasse-Freeman, who was making his first collegiate start, got Harvard's first double-double of the season, scoring 15 points with 10 assists.

Down 52-44 early in the second, the Crimson came storming back with an eight-point run sparked by Clemente.

Sinking a wide-open jumper from just beyond the arc, Clemente cut the lead to five and remained upcourt to apply pressure.

Harassing Williams, Clemente forced a turnover that set up junior center Tim Coleman for a short jumper from Prasse-Freeman and cut the lead to three.

After Navy senior center Sitapha Savane--who had a game-high 26 points--beat Coleman inside, it looked as though Savane would have an easy two, but 6'3 Prasse-Freeman stood his ground against the 6'8 giant from Dakar, Senegal and drew the offensive foul.

Turning the ball up court after the Midshipmen timeout, Prasse-Freeman went coast-to-coast and drove the lane.

Leaping from the ground as if to shoot, Prasse-Freeman dished the ball out to Gellert who immediately spread the Navy defense firing the ball cross-court to fellow guard, captain Damian Long, who sunk the three and tied the game, 52-52 at 15:16 of the second half.

The three-guard set proved deadly for the Crimson all night as Prasse-Freeman, Gellert, and Long combined for 18 assists and 38 points, averaging 37 minutes of play between them.

Prasse-Freeman had the biggest night of his young collegiate career, showing flashes of brilliance reminiscent of Crimson star point guard Tim Hill '99.

"Elliott really saw his first meaningful minutes all year tonight, and I was really happy with his performance," Sullivan said. "He did a great job against an excellent defensive team."

One of the most intense players on the court, Prasse-Freeman's tenacity proved invaluable throughout the game.

Stealing the ball from junior guard Reggie Skipworth under the basket and then drawing the foul, Prasse-Freeman sent the crowd to its feet, nailing both free throws and giving the Crimson its first lead of the game, 54-53.

Despite his flashy performance, the freshmen point guard didn't let anyone forget his age, succumbing to a number of rookie mistakes.

Prasse-Freeman turned the ball over four times and ill-advisedly fouled a Navy player in a double-bonus situation with a check at halfcourt in the game's final minutes. He proved that he needs more game experience before the Crimson can count on him as its go-to man.

In the meantime, Harvard will need to rely on Clemente to take control and lead the team to victory.

However, Clemente was barely noticeable on the court despite his 24-point performance. Although he popped 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, he only scored once in the final 12 minutes of the game.

If the Crimson is going to post its fifth consecutive .500 or better season, Clemente must make his presence felt more in the final minutes of the game.

Against Navy, it felt as though it was Prasse-Freeman and not Clemente who acted like the veteran who wanted the ball with the game on the line.

Instead, it was the backcourt and sixth man Coleman, who rose to the occasion late in the second half.

Shooting 7-for-13 from the field and scoring a career-high 16 points with eight rebounds, Coleman gave Harvard a chance to down Navy late, stealing the ball with 38 seconds remaining in regulation and the Crimson trailing, 83-81.

Coleman's steal set up a pair of free throws for rising sophomore star, Gellert, who sunk both free throws under pressure to knot the game, 83-83.

Along with young guns Gellert and Prasse-Freeman, starting 6'8 freshmen center Onnie Mayshak made his presence felt, turning in a physical performance on defense against Navy's leading scorer, Savane.

Although he shot 2-of-2 from the field and scored five points in only 10 minutes of play, Mayshak's inexperience revealed that it will take time for him to adjust to the college game.

"For any freshmen there is a huge adjustment to the college game, but it's especially hard for Onnie," Sullivan said. "Coming from Canada, he hasn't ever played really serious basketball before, but he played good defense tonight and made Savane work for every basket."

Resembling Shaquille O'Neill by missing 4-of-5 free-throw attempts, Mayshak got himself into foul trouble early, drawing his fourth foul two minutes into the second half.

Nevertheless, the combination of Mayshak, Prasse-Freeman, and Gellert, all starters despite their youth, showed glimpses of a bright future for the Crimson.