NOTEBOOK: Rebounding Fuels Cross-Town Upset

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass.—Before entering Wednesday night’s contest against Boston College, Harvard coach Tommy Amaker stressed the importance of keeping the Eagles off the glass.

Mission accomplished.

Battling a team that had outrebounded its opponents in each of its last eight matches, the Crimson managed to win the battle of the boards, outrebounding the Eagles 31 to 30.

“An incredible point of emphasis for us was to try and keep them off the backboard,” Amaker said. “I’m shocked to know that we were able to [outrebound them] because it seemed like every time they shot it, they were going to get it.”

While senior forward Pat Magnarelli and sophomore big man Keith Wright led the way for Harvard with six and four rebounds, respectively, the Crimson needed help from all its players to slow a team that receives most of its rebounding from perimeter men.

Co-captain Jeremy Lin, along with sophomore guard Oliver McNally and freshman Brandyn Curry, chipped in with eight rebounds and held the Eagles’ Reggie Jackson to four, half of his typical output.

Harvard’s dominance down low manifested itself in offensive production as well, where the Crimson outscored the Eagles in the paint 40 to 26. Most of that scoring was done by the 6’8 Wright, who finished with a career-high 21 points.

Three of Wright’s nine baskets came off picks set for Lin, who then dished it to Wright as he rolled to the basket.

“The bigs really weren’t hedging out as hard,” Wright said. “They’re not really good on the ball screens, so what Jeremy said to me in the huddle was, ‘If you roll hard, I’m going to find you.’”

YOUNG TALENT

In a game where Lin and Wright led the Crimson offense with 46 points, a pair of freshmen played subtler roles in the victory.

With his team trailing by five midway through the second period, rookie point guard Curry provided defensive intensity that sparked the Crimson’s comeback.

Following two free throws from classmate Kyle Casey, Curry picked up Eagles point guard Biko Paris in the backcourt and helped force a steal that Lin recovered and brought the other way for a layup that cut the deficit to three.

Two possessions later, Curry’s full court pressure led to a five second violation on the Eagles Reggie Jackson. Lin’s two free throws on the ensuing possession put Harvard within one.

“We were kind of falling into a half court game where things were slowed down, but Brandyn just picked up full court and really took them out of their comfort zone,” Lin said. “I think that’s what changed the whole game.”

While Curry’s defense helped catalyze Harvard’s second-half comeback, Casey sacrificed his body to seal the victory for the Crimson.

With momentum shifting back to the Eagles as the Harvard lead dwindled to four, Boston College point guard Biko Paris blew past Lin and appeared to have a clear lane to the basket, but Casey stepped in front to take his third charge of the game.

“Obviously the biggest play of the game was that charge,” Lin said. “We needed a stop to kind of put the game away. He just did a great job with his rotation, and he was unselfish in terms of giving up his body.”

THREE-PEAT

Harvard’s win over Boston College marks its third victory in as many seasons against an elite non-conference opponent and its second in a row over the Eagles.

In Amaker’s first season at the helm, the Crimson defeated Big Ten opponent Michigan, 62-51, in front of a home crowd at Lavietes Pavillion.

And last January, Harvard traveled to Conte Forum, where it upset the Eagles of the ACC, 82-70, just days after Boston College had trumped then-No. 1 North Carolina. But apparently, Amaker doesn’t see a connection in the three big wins of his Crimson tenure.

“It’s almost like, last year was last year and doesn’t have any effect on this year," Amaker said. “Certainly we were able to win last year and felt great about it, but I’m not sure that has any bearing on this game and tonight.”

Harvard will get its final shot—at least during the regular season—at an opponent from a major conference on December 23, when the team travels to Washington D.C. to take on Georgetown.

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