Late Run Propels No. 25 Harvard Past FAU

With 8:19 to play in Thursday night’s matchup with Florida Atlantic and the score tied at 45-45, the No. 25 Harvard men’s basketball team was in danger of suffering its second defeat of the season.

The Crimson had just turned the ball over for the 17th time on the night, and a physical Owls squad seemed poised to upset a Harvard team fresh off a lengthy exam break.

But with the game in jeopardy, the Crimson (10-1) stepped up and Florida Atlantic (4-8) folded, as Harvard closed the contest on an 18-6 run over the final 7:18 of play for a 63-51 victory.

“We were in a position to win like we’ve been in many, many nights this year, and we just haven’t had the mental toughness to finish them off,” said Owls coach Mike Jarvis, whose squad shot one-of-seven and turned it over twice during the Crimson’s final run. “We’re not finishing what we started. It was another game I think we could have won.”

While Jarvis’ squad struggled shooting the ball down the stretch in particular, it was a problem that plagued the visitors the entire night. Florida Atlantic shot 38.5 percent from the field and an abysmal 3-of-17 from beyond the arc.

But the Crimson, which coughed the ball up 10 times in the first half alone, had its own struggles, finishing with 17 turnovers, matching a season-high. Besides its struggles holding onto the ball, Harvard’s offense was efficient, converting 55.3 percent of its attempts from the field and 50 percent from deep. The Crimson also got the job done on the glass, outrebounding the Owls, 34-20.

Co-captain Keith Wright led the way for Harvard on the boards, pulling down a game-high 11 rebounds to go along with 12 points, giving him his second double-double of the season. Junior point guard Brandyn Curry also added 12 points, while junior Christian Webster chipped in with eight.

Florida Atlantic, which was without its leading scorer Greg Gantt, was paced by Raymond Taylor, a speedy 5’6 point guard who posted 14 points and five assists, both team highs.

“I don’t think there is anybody else in the NCAA like him—that small with those handles, so quick, and such a good scorer and passer,” said Curry, who was charged with the primary task of defending Taylor. “He’s a tough guard. We knew going in he was going to be in attack mode.”

But excluding Taylor, the Owls starters combined for just 13 points on 5-of-24 shooting. Even so, Florida Atlantic grabbed a two-point lead, 45-43, with 10:03 to play after 6’8 forward Jordan McCoy pulled an offensive board and powered to the basket for two of his eight points on the evening.

But it would prove to be the Owls’  last advantage of the night, as the Crimson took over the game’s final minutes, scoring 18 points in the final 7:18 of play and surrendering just six.

“When we tied it up, you’ve got to seize the moment,” Jarvis said. “You’ve got to take advantage of the opportunity. You’ve got to make a couple baskets. If we had got ahead of these guys by two or three baskets, we would have won this game.”

“When you play a good team on their court, you can’t have mental lapses for periods and stretches of the game like we did tonight,” he added.

Harvard relied on strong play of Curry, Wright, and co-captain Oliver McNally down the stretch, as the trio combined for 17 of the Crimson’s final 18 points. Curry ignited the run with a pair of free throws, and McNally created separation one minute later by knocking down a triple from the left corner.

Following McNally’s three-pointer, Florida Atlantic’s Pablo Bertone missed a layup, and on the other end, Wright spun toward the basket and finished a two-handed dunk. On Harvard’s next possession, Wright tipped in a missed shot from Curry, putting the home team ahead by eight, 55-47, with 4:39 to go.

Curry put the Crimson up by 10 one minute later, and Harvard’s lead never fell into single digits the rest of the way.

“We were very pleased with the way we responded during critical situations,” said Harvard coach Tommy Amaker, whose squad will get back on the court Dec. 29 at Boston College. “It was great to see our kids come through in those types of moments.”

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