Men's Basketball Topples Mercer 71-67 at State Farm Arena

ATLANTA - Many players dream of playing, and winning, in an NBA arena. For Harvard men’s basketball, that dream was realized on Saturday afternoon, as the Crimson held on for a 71-67 victory over Mercer at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

The win was not without its tense moments, as a Harvard (6-5) team that led from wire to wire allowed the Bears (5-8, 0-1 SOCON) to cut the deficit from 18 to as few as four points in the dying minutes. The tilt was a homecoming of sorts for juniors Robert Baker and Chris Lewis, who both hail from the Peach State.

Baker earned his first start of the season for the Crimson, and scored a bucket and garnered four rebounds in six minutes of play. Lewis’ play was crucial down the stretch for the Crimson, as the Alpharetta, Ga., native finished with 13 points to help defeat the Bears. More importantly, 11 of his points came in an offensively-challenged second half for Harvard, which followed a season-high 41 points in the first half.

“It’s great, I had plenty of family and friends here,” Lewis said of playing in Atlanta. “But I think the main thing is just being able to show off my team.”

The Crimson jumped out to a 13 point lead at the half, in large part due to the team’s proficiency from three-point land. In the first 20 minutes, Harvard knocked down 8-of-15 three-pointers, with freshman Noah Kirkwood knocking in three triples, and senior forward Corey Johnson hitting a pair of threes.

Kirkwood led Harvard with 19 points, scoring 17 of them in an impressive first half performance. As the Ottawa, Ontario., has frequently exhibited this season, along with the points, come the turnovers. Kirkwood committed four turnovers Saturday afternoon, part of a 20 turnover effort that coach Tommy Amaker was less than pleased about. The Crimson entered the contest 326th out of 351 teams in the country, over 16 turnovers per game.

“I know we struggled a little bit there, especially in the second half when they turned us over to make a run,” said Amaker of the team’s ball-handling. “But I was really pleased with the effort we brought, and the focus we brought.”

Kirkwood’s scoring has been desperately needed in the absence of Ivy League Player of the Year Seth Towns and guard Bryce Aiken. The offensive boost Kirkwood has provided has been crucial for a Crimson team that prides itself on solid defense and fundamental basketball.

“He’s a really good player, you can see how advanced he is for being such a young kid,” said Amaker of Kirkwood’s play. “The big question for us with him is can we find some consistency and rhythm with how he plays.”

The second half was reminiscent of prior road games in which the Crimson has let leads slip down the stretch. Winning the rebounding and assist battles was crucial down the stretch for Harvard, and clutch free throws from guards Christian Juzang and Spencer Freedman helped put Mercer away and ice the victory. Saturday afternoon marked the Crimson’s second consecutive win, and will offer the team momentum to close out the 2018 calendar.

2019 will open with a bang, as Harvard will visit University of North Carolina, the 14th ranked team in the country, on January 2nd. For the Crimson to have hopes of pulling off the upset without Towns and Aiken, Amaker will lean heavily on a sophomore and junior core of players that are complemented by the contributions of first-years Kirkwood, Freedman, and Mason Forbes.

“They make a lot more mature decisions on the court,” Lewis said of the first-years’ progress. “They really stepped into their roles, know what we need from them, and always give their best effort.”

The Bears clawed their way back into the game in the second half, despite their recent struggles. Bob Hoffman’s team entered Saturday’s matchup fresh off of a 77-73 victory over UNC-Wilmington, its first win in five games. Hoffman, who is in his eleventh season at the helm of the Mercer program, leaned heavily on junior guard Ross Cummings. The Dickson, Tenn., native led all players with 21 points and 37 minutes, and almost single-handedly brought the Bears a come-from-behind victory in Atlanta.

Saturday afternoon was yet another instance of Mercer’s struggles in close games - the Bears entered the game 1-5 in games decided by 10 points or fewer. Winning a tight contest was a welcome change for the Crimson - after narrowly defeating UMass on the road, Harvard has suffered heartbreaking losses away from Lavietes Pavilion at Rhode Island, Siena, and Vermont.

As 2018 turns to 2019, the Crimson will hope that wins against George Washington and Mercer will kick-start its season. Still shorthanded, Harvard will travel to Chapel Hill to take on Roy Williams’ Tar Heels at the Dean Smith Center, no small task. But after UNC, the focus of the Crimson will shift to conference play, which looms large on the horizon. For now, Harvard will be happy to secure a second consecutive win, within the confines of an NBA arena, no less.

—Staff writer Amir Mamdani can be reached at amir.mamdani@thecrimson.com.