Chambers scored 15 first-half points to help boost Harvard past MIT (Gil Talbot).
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The No. 25/RV Harvard men's basketball team tipped off its 2014-15 season Friday night with a 73-52 win over cross-town foe MIT at Lavietes Pavilion.
Harvard (1-0) outscored MIT (0-1) 52-30 over the game's final 29:10 to cruise to the victory, the team's sixth in eight season openers under head coach Tommy Amaker.
Wesley Saunders paced the Crimson at both ends of the floor, scoring a team-high 15 points on 4-of-5 shooting while also contributing nine rebounds, six assists and two steals. Siyani Chambers matched Saunders' scoring output with 15 points of his own, all of which came in the first half. Chambers shot 5-of-7 from the floor, 4-of-4 from 3, and added four assists and two steals.
All nine Crimson who saw more than 10 minutes of action scored at least one basket as Harvard finished the night shooting 55.8 percent (24-43) from the field, 53.8 percent (7-13) from 3 and 81.8 percent (18-22) at the line.
Justin Pedley scored a game-high 19 points for MIT with Tim Butala adding 16.
MIT held its own early, knocking down 4-of-6 shots to build a 9-6 lead. Harvard went in front for the first time as Chambers jumped the passing lane and took it the other way for an and-one, and on the ensuing Engineer possession Saunders found an open Chambers on the break for 3 to take a 15-9 edge. MIT regained its shooting touch, however, and after five quick points from Pedley the Engineers were back on top, 22-21.
Harvard turned things around with a Corbin Miller 3-pointer and closed the half on a 21-5 run to open a 42-27 advantage. Chambers knocked down consecutive 3-pointers during the run to make it a 37-25 game, before adding a third to close out the frame.
Chambers led all scorers with 15 points at the break, shooting 4-of-4 from 3, while Saunders added five points, eight rebounds, five assists and two steals.
Saunders scored five straight points to push Harvard's lead to 49-31 early in the second, and Steve Moudnou-Missi showed off his range with his first career 3-pointer to make it a 52-36 game. Miller added the team's seventh long-ball, his second, and Andre Chatfield got in the act with a breakaway dunk to maintain a 59-40 edge.
Harvard's lead grew to as many as 23 points, 68-45, as Chambers found Zena Edosomwan for an emphatic two-handed slam over an MIT defender. Kenyatta Smith rounded out the scoring with four straight points as the Crimson walked away with the 21-point win.
Game Notes: Harvard boasts a 50-3 record at Lavietes Pavilion since the start of the 2010-11 season … The Crimson is 18-4 against Boston area schools under head coach Tommy Amaker, and is 24-6 against opponents from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts … Harvard improved to 6-2 in season openers under head coach Tommy Amaker … Wesley Saunders, who led the team in points, rebounds and assists, matched his career-high with nine rebounds … Siyani Chambers scored all 15 of his points in the first half and finished the game shooting 4-of-4 from 3 … Corbin Miller made his first career start after appearing in 28 games as a freshman in 2011-12 … Miller, who returned to the team following a two-year LDS mission, scored six points and shot 2-of-6 from 3 … Kenyatta Smith also returned to the Harvard lineup after suffering an injury last season, and totaled eight points and four rebounds.
