NOTEBOOK: Long Ball Boosts Crimson To Victory

One night after Harvard handily lost the three-point battle to Cornell, the trey was perhaps its biggest weapon.

The Crimson hit 10-of-22 threes Saturday, including a blistering 8-of-13 in the first half that helped build an early lead over Columbia.

“[It was] a little different in terms of the size of players we were shooting over tonight versus last,” Harvard coach Tommy Amaker said.

Against the Big Red, the Crimson managed to hit just two triples while Cornell knocked down 12 from long range.

“[Tonight] we worked the ball well; we were confident,” Amaker said. “It’s amazing how things become contagious.”

The barrage of three-pointers began with the first basket of the game, when co-captain Jeremy Lin connected from the right corner.

After Lin’s bucket, sophomore guard Oliver McNally took over. McNally went 4-for-5 from beyond the arc in the opening frame en route to scoring 20 first-half points.

“In those rhythms, people mess up by trying to take all kinds of shots,” McNally said. “I kept taking good shots, so I was able to streak some together.”

The sophomore hit four threes over a span of 10 minutes to help build a 10-9 deficit into a 34-16 lead.

Before the close of the half, Harvard was able to widen the gap even further thanks to a pair of freshmen.

With 25 seconds left and the shot clock winding down, Curry buried a three from the left wing. Lions guard Niko Scott banked home a field goal on the other end with seven seconds left, allowing the Crimson just enough time for one more shot.

Curry raced the ball up court, slicing into the lane before passing it out to freshman guard Dee Giger in the left corner. Giger gathered himself and knocked down a trey as time expired to give Harvard a 45-26 lead.

“[If] you make a few of them early, runs have a way of taking on a life of [their] own,” Amaker said of the Crimson’s hot shooting.

SMALL BALL

Even though sophomore Keith Wright played against Cornell and suited up Saturday night, the Harvard big man did not see any action.

“He needs practice,” Amaker said. “I don’t want it to be where we’re using him in the game and then we can’t have him for practice.”

The result of the depleted frontcourt—the only experienced forwards were co-captain Doug Miller and freshman Kyle Casey—was a variety of small lineups that spread the floor on offense and pressured the ball on defense.

“One of the older tricks in the game is that if you’re worried about the way that you can match up, try to create something [so] that they’ll adjust to you,” Amaker said.

At one point, the Crimson’s biggest player on the court was the 6’6”, 180-pound Giger.

“I think it’s very fun when we play small,” Curry said. “We’re flying on defense, we’re four-out-one-in, and we’re just playing.”

DON’T ACT LIKE YOU’RE NOT IMPRESSED

Saturday’s contest featured a pair of highlight-reel dunks. The first came five minutes into the second half, when Columbia guard Noruwa Agho launched a three-pointer that rattled off the rim. Lions forward Ansenso Ampim swooped in, grabbed the rebound in the air, and slammed it home in one motion.

Midway through the second half, Casey stole the ball on the perimeter and took off downcourt uncontested. He gathered himself on two feet and threw down a one-handed jam to the crowd’s delight.

At least one observer, though, was unimpressed.

“It was kind of weak,” Curry said. “I was hoping he was going to windmill it.”

—Staff writer Timothy J. Walsh can be reached at twalsh@fas.harvard.edu.