Jeremy Lin scored 12 straight Harvard points in
a four-minute span Sunday night as Harvard won at Boson
University for the first time since 1975. (Gil Talbot)
BOSTON, Mass. - Trailing throughout much of the
second half, Harvard ended the game on an 18-6 run over the final
6:30 to defeat Boston University 78-70 and log its first win at BU
since the 1975 season - a string of 10 games played in Boston.
Harvard (5-1) was just 4-for-18 from long range (.222) before a
key triple from Jeremy Lin finally brought a measure of momentum to
the Crimson with less than four minutes remaining. The shot came as
part of a 12-point run for Lin in a span of four minutes, with the
senior capping his night with an emphatic slam en route to scoring
16 of his game-high 19 points in the second half. He also added
four assists, four steals, four rebounds and two blocked shots.
Harvard led by 13 in the first half only to see BU storm back
and take its first lead early in the second, 39-36, on a Carlos
Strong triple. While the Crimson was uncharacteristically cool from
long range, BU was red hot from the floor, making 9-of-13 to start
(.692) in expanding its lead to 54-45 on a John Holland 3-pointer
with 13:20 remaining.
A bucket underneath from Brandyn Curry off a loose ball made it
a 56-53 game with 10:40 left. Five times Harvard cut the deficit to
one possession only to see the Terriers answer at the other end
before Lin took over. After Corey Lowe missed a 3-pointer, Brandyn
Curry drove the paint before kicking out to Lin, who stuck a triple
in the corner to break the long shooting drought and give Harvard a
65-64 lead for good.
Lin's backcourt mate Oliver McNally scored the last six points
with four at the line and a two-handed slam in a 13-point evening
for the sophomore. Keith Wright finished with 11 points (5-9 FG)
and three blocks.
Five BU players scored in double figures with all five starters
logging at least 33 minutes.
Harvard's bench out-scored BU, 27-2 with BU reserves playing
just 23 combined minutes.
In the first half BU struggled from deep 1-for-9 to start) as
Harvard built a 22-15 lead with less than eight to play after a
3-point play from Kyle Casey to cap a 9-2 Harvard run.
Wright gave Harvard a 27-17 lead at the 6:15 mark after five
straight points and Lin connected on a deep triple to prompt a BU
timeout with 5:37 left and the Crimson taking charge, 30-17.
BU capitalized on Harvard misses and turnovers throughout the
remainder of the half however, as the Terriers rattled off a 13-2
run of their own in cutting the deficit to 32-30 with 1:10 left
before McNally answered with his second trey en route to a slim
36-34 halftime lead.
