Pictured: Kyle Casey had 15 points (11-13 FT) and five
rebounds as Harvard controlled George Washington in the second half
in a 66-53 game. (Steve Slade).
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - After
trailing by nine points early on, Harvard put the clamps on George
Washington with a dominating second half defensive effort as the
Crimson defeated the Colonials, 66-53, at Lavietes Pavilion.
Harvard held GW to five points in the first 13:33 of the second
half, enabling the Crimson to build a 16-point lead at one time.
The Crimson improves to 9-3 on the season and is 6-0 at home.
George Washington, hailing from the fourth-ranked conference
(Atlantic-10) nationally this season, sees its records dip to 9-3
with its first road loss (5-1).
Jeremy Lin turned in another star effort against an
exceptionally athletic GW squad. The senior lifted Harvard in the
first half with 14 points and five steals en route to a crowded box
score of 17 points, eight rebounds, seven steals, five assists and
two blocks. The seven thefts sets a new career-high, surpassing
last season's six in a win at against Boston College.
Harvard also received a career-high 15 points from freshman Kyle
Casey (11-13 FT), who also added five rebounds. GW scored just 18
second half points on 6-for-24 shooting (.250) while being
outrebounded in the half, 22-11.
Harvard turned the ball over on four of its first six
possessions as GW pulled out to an 11-2 lead. Harvard got within
15-13, nine minutes into the fast-paced game and then within one,
21-20, on a triple from Lin with 5:54 left.
Casey tied the game moments later on a free throw only to see GW
score the next four. Seconds before the under-four minute timeout,
an intentional foul on Hermann Opoku sent Lin to the line and the
senior converted two to tie it up at 25. Harvard got the ball back
and Casey went to the line to give the Crimson its first lead of
the game with 3:45 left in the half. The teams traded leads down
the stretch with Lin making it 35-32 in favor of Harvard with 55
seconds left after two free throws, his fifth steal off the
half and a dunk.
Travis King hit a long triple with the shot clock winding down
to tie things but Lin drained a bomb from deep range at the buzzer
for a 38-35 Harvard lead. The shot marked Lin's fifth
buzzer-beating shot this season.
In the second half, Harvard grabbed a 41-35 lead on a beautiful
no-look feed from Lin to Doug Miller. Casey converted two at the
line for a 43-35 lead as GW was held scoreless for the first 4:40
of the half while committing five fouls. Two more Lin assists gave
Harvard a 48-37 lead at 12:25 when Brandyn Curry stuck a triple
from the corner.
A goaltending call upped the margin to 50-37 with 10:41 left as
GW still had just two points in the half before Damien Hollis hit a
tough over-and-under layup at the 10:18 mark. Another goaltending
made it 54-40 at 8:18 before Lin came up with his sixth steal of
the contest.
GW stayed around and got within nine, 56-47, with 5:14 remaining
after a 3-point play from Hollis but Harvard answered and a
personal five-point spurt from Casey with 2:58 left gave the home
side an insurmountable 63-47 margin.
Hollis led GW with 11 points while Tony Taylor had 10.
Harvard returns to action Saturday evening with a 5:10 (EST)
game at Seattle University in a contest being played at Key Arena.
The game will be rebroadcast on Fox Sports Northwest at 12:15 a.m.
on Sunday. Following its trip to Seattle, Harvard plays at Santa
Clara Jan. 4.
