NOTEBOOK: Perimeter Defense Plagues Men's Basketball

Columbia scored more points in the first half against the Harvard men’s basketball team on Friday night than it had put up in any of its previous three games, all losses, thanks mainly to its dead-eye three-point shooting.

The Lions defeated the Crimson, 90-70, and shot a ridiculous 11-of-13 from three-point range in the opening frame to account for 33 of its 54 first-half points.

“The official asked me at halftime if we normally shoot like this and obviously we don’t,” said junior forward John Baumann, who hit his only three field-goal attempts of the first half. “That’s basketball. We were fortunate to make our shots and we did a lot of other good things, such as defend.”

On the defensive end, Columbia forced turnovers and rebounded missed Crimson shots to set up its fast break. The Lions were able to hit threes in transition, and also got open looks from deep with ball movement in their halfcourt set.

“We feel that the way Harvard plays, it plays right into our strength,” freshman guard Niko Scott said. “They like to run and so do we. When we saw that while getting ready throughout the week, we thought this would be a game where we could really show our ability.”

Scott led the way in the first half, hitting all three of his shots from downtown and scoring all 13 of his points in the opening frame.

But Scott was just one of many Columbia players who was a threat from long range. Seemingly every Lion on the floor could hit a three-pointer, giving Columbia many options against Harvard’s defense. Of the 11 Lions to play in the first half, eight of them made at least one three-pointer.

FRESH FACES

One bright spot for the Crimson was the performance of several freshmen who had seen little or no game action entering the weekend.

First-year guards Alek Blankenau, Darryl Finkton, and Ndu Okereke as well as freshman forward Pat Magnarelli each scored the first points of their collegiate careers.

Blankenau scored seven points on a three-pointer and 4-of-4 shooting from the free-throw line in 15 minutes. Magnarelli, inheriting some of the playing time that formerly belonged to graduated center Brian Cusworth, had four points and four rebounds in 17 minutes. It was his first appearance after being inactive for the early part of the season with a back injury.

“Anytime you get into a situation when your back is against the wall, you look for answers anywhere,” Harvard coach Frank Sullivan said. “That is what it became.”

Finkton, who was the subject of a vocal cheering section in the Lavietes Pavilion stands, hit a free throw with 1:05 left to record the first point of his career, and Okereke, in his first career appearance, hit a runner in the lane in the game’s final minute.

FREE THREES

The Crimson continued its season-long trend of hitting its free throws, making 20-of-22 shots from the stripe, including its first 18.

The success at the line was largely overshadowed, however, by Columbia’s three-point shooting.

“Getting to the free-throw line is a non-factor when three-point shots are made with that volume,” Sullivan said. “That is negated clearly and right away. [The team] saw for the first time that they could work hard, they could get to the line, they could make free throws, but if they are giving up extra points on three-point baskets, the strategy to get there is all negated.”

On the season, Harvard is averaging 75.1 percent from the free-throw line and has made 380 free throws, compared to 234 by its opponents. It is also allowing other teams to make threes at a 35.2 percent rate.

—Staff writer Ted Kirby can be reached at tjkirby@fas.harvard.edu.