Trio of Casey, Chambers and Saunders Pushes Men's Basketball Over BU in Overtime

When a Boston University turnover led to a coast-to-coast layup for Harvard sophomore guard Siyani Chambers—giving the Crimson a double-digit lead with 6:20 remaining in the game—Saturday afternoon’s contest seemed to be in the bag.

When Crimson junior guard Wesley Saunders caught the ball on the left wing, took two dribbles, and lobbed a pass to a streaking Kyle Casey—who finished with an emphatic dunk—the game seemed to be all but over. Harvard had once again extended its lead with only 1:38 left to play.

And, when Chambers intercepted an errant Terrier pass on the subsequent possession and sped up the floor, it seemed that Harvard, too, was coasting.

But, as Chambers rolled his ankle on the ensuing lay-up attempt, it was not just the point guard who came crashing down, but the Crimson’s lead as well. In a span of 17 seconds, two consecutive Boston University three-pointers—including one bank-shot—brought the home team within one for the first time in over 12 minutes.

Thirteen seconds later, a split trip to the charity stripe from Harvard junior forward Steve Moundou-Missi instigated a chaotic fast break. Terrier sophomore guard Maurice Watson Jr. took the ball up the floor, splitting the Crimson defense and laying the ball into the hoop, tying the contest in the process.

A game that was in the bag, sealed, and all but over, was suddenly headed to overtime.

“[BU is] a team that has a great deal of confidence in late game situations,” Harvard coach Tommy Amaker said. “I think this year they were terrific [and] prepared…. You see that with experience.”

However, in the extra period, 11 straight Harvard free throws gave the Crimson a lead that, this time, it would not relinquish. And when the final buzzer sounded, Harvard came out on top, 79-68, at Case Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

“It was a big relief,” Chambers said. “[W]e thought we had it in regulation. Coming down the stretch, they made tough plays to get back into it and tie it up. The momentum was changing and [it was huge] for us to go out there and work as a team, get buckets, and get stops.”

A strong first period performance from Saunders, supplemented by efficient second halves from Chambers and senior Kyle Casey, led the Crimson to its fifth straight victory. The trio put up 51 of the squad’s 62 total field goal attempts, and shot 12 out of the team’s 16 free throws. Saunders finished with 25 points, five rebounds, and four assists, whereas Chambers and Casey tallied 19 and 16 points, respectively. On the boards, Casey corralled a game-high 12 rebounds.

On the day, the Crimson had one of its worst shooting outings of the season, hitting field goals at only a 41.9 percent clip.

“We didn’t finish as well as we would have liked,” Amaker said. “I want to think that there are some things we should have done that we were not doing—making the extra pass, finding the open man off of penetration, and not forcing [the shot]…I don’t think that we played as efficiently as we could offensively.”

While in the second half it was a battle between teams, in the first period it was largely a battle of coasts, as Los Angeles native Saunders went head-to-head with Philadelphia’s Watson. The two traded offensive tricks for most of the half, with one guard’s crossover being bested on a subsequent possession by the other guard’s spin-move.

After Terrier John Papale missed a jumper with 14:27 left in the opening period, Harvard co-captain Laurent Rivard fired a pass to teammate Saunders on the left wing. Saunders caught the ball and immediately changed directions, heading towards the paint. Three dribbles later, Saunders stopped on a dime, dribbled between his legs, and pulled up at the right elbow. Both his defender and the shot went down.

On the next play, Watson grabbed the ball on the right wing, took two dribbles, and nailed a jump shot. And on it went.

Watson finished the game with 14 points, eight assists, and four steals, shooting over 58 percent from the field.

“Their guards are very crafty,” Amaker said. “They do a very good job creating for others….Watson is good, he is very difficult. He is quick and can go either way. He is a terrific finisher and a guy who can make shots around the goal over bigger players.”

Watson was helped on the offensive end by senior forward Dom Morris, who notched 15 points and nine boards, while committing five turnovers.

One of the Crimson’s biggest scares of the night was the rolled ankle Chambers suffered towards the close of regulation. After remaining on the ground for nearly a minute, Chambers was able to return to action. Meanwhile, co-captain guard Brandyn Curry and junior forward Kenyatta Smith still remained sidelined with foot injuries.

However, about five game-minutes after Chambers rose from the floor, the focus on the team’s scares turned into a focus on the teams’ scores, as the Crimson had officially put away its Boston counterparts.

“I like big challenges and I know our team likes big challenges,” Chambers said. “We are going to get everyone’s best shot and those are the games we want to play in. That’s how we prepare and that’s how Coach prepares us. It is fun to play against…a team like that.”

—Staff writer Juliet Spies-Gans can be reached at juliet.spies-gans@thecrimson.com.