NOTEBOOK: Casey Scores 20 for Men's Basketball in Win Over Princeton

Up 59-58 with 34 seconds to play in the second half of the Harvard men’s basketball team’s rematch against Princeton, junior Kyle Casey found himself at the free throw line—a similar position to the one he was in two weeks ago at Jadwin Gymnasium.

But while late free throws proved deadly in the Crimson’s first matchup with the Tigers—Casey missed four of five free throws down the stretch in Harvard’s eventual loss—the junior forward came through in the clutch on Friday night, knocking down both attempts.

“Last game [against Princeton] I was terrible from the free-throw line, and it was awful,” Casey said. “I’ve been in the gym since two weeks ago working on my free throws. Coach told me, ‘You’ll get another shot at it.’ And it just so happened that [Friday] was the night. I just stepped up with confidence.”

Casey led his team with 20 point on the night, going five for six from the foul line and an 7 of 13 from the field.

“Kyle definitely carried us,” said junior point guard Brandyn Curry. “He and Keith are the focal points of our team. He played well, but that’s what we expect out of him.”

But while Casey’s free throws helped build the Crimson’s lead, it was co-captain Oliver McNally who secured the 67-64 win from the line. The senior guard, Harvard’s top free-throw shooter, nailed six free throws in the final 18 seconds after Princeton sent him to the line on three occasions in an attempt to extend the game.

“Oliver is just a great leader for our team,” Casey said. “He’s a vocal, emotional leader. He always comes through and produces, knocking down free throws and big threes.”

McNally’s shooting stroke gave Harvard a six-point lead with three seconds to play. And although Tigers’ guard Doug Davis nailed a half-court buzzer beater, the shot came too late for Princeton to stage a comeback.

FRESH TO DEATH

In such a tight contest, the bench’s five points—all of which were scored by freshmen—proved crucial. Rookie Steve Moundou-Missi was two for four from the field and contributed six rebounds for the Crimson, three of which came on offense.

“He’s done that for us,” Amaker said of Moundou-Missi’s performance. “That’s what we expect, him to be able to come off the bench and give us [what we need]. Those are winning plays; offensive boards keep the possession alive.”

Fellow freshman Wes Saunders added two assists and one point for the Crimson on Friday night in 15 minutes of action.

“[Wes Saunders] didn’t really have the numbers but [he played well] defensively...when we called on him,” Amaker said. “I thought he was outstanding tonight…. He was ready when he came in. I thought that was a huge statement for his future in our program.”

The two rookies had a big impact on the team, helping Harvard outscore Princeton in the paint, 34-28. The Crimson was also able to capitalize on the Tigers’ slipups, collecting 15 points off turnovers to Princeton’s eight.

“The freshmen really came in and played well,” Casey said. “They [came up] big for us in both halves. It was a gutsy effort from everyone.”

THREE TIME

Led by forward Patrick Saunders’ perfect shooting effort from the field in the first half, Princeton shot  62.5 percent from beyond the arc. Patrick Saunders knocked down all three of his three-point attempts and added a mid-range jumper. He and Casey led all players in scoring in the first frame, netting 12 first-half points apiece.

But Patrick Saunders attempted just one more shot for the Tigers in the second half, finishing the game with the same 12 points he scored before halftime.

“Our defense has been our calling card…. That’s something our kids believe in,” Amaker said. “Obviously they missed some shots. That happened last year as well.”

Princeton shot better from three than it did overall, going 47.1 percent from deep and 46.3 percent from the field on the game.

Harvard, on the other hand, struggled from three-point range, especially in the second half, knocking down just one of its seven attempts from deep. The Crimson had fared slightly better in the first half, hitting three-of-nine attempts from long range.

“[Princeton is] a very good team with their offense and the things that they do,” Amaker said. “I thought we dug in, and that’s something I’m proud of. We had a lot of energy and effort in the comeback.”

—Staff writer Catherine E. Coppinger can be reached at ccoppinger@college.harvard.edu.