CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Harvard is set to play host to Babson before taking a break for final exams. The non-conference game between schools that are separated by 12 miles is set for a 7 p.m. ET start on ESPN+.

What to Know

- Harvard is looking to rebound from its second straight loss, which came at in-state foe Massachusetts on Saturday afternoon. The Crimson led by 17 points with 8:16 left in the first half, but ultimately fell to the Minutemen, 87-77.

- Chris Ledlum led Harvard against UMass with a team-high 20 points and six rebounds. The junior tied a career high with nine field goals en route to his third 20-point scoring performance of the season.

- Noah Kirkwood continued his solid play in his final year at Harvard, registering 16 points, two rebounds, a team-high six assists and two steals against the Minutemen. The senior has registered a stat in points, rebounds, assists and steals in each of the last six games and in seven of the last eight. He also has five straight multi-steal performances (2.8 spg).

- Luka Sakota is in the midst of a breakout season, having scored in double figures six times in 2021-22. On Saturday at UMass, the junior knocked in three triples en route to 15 points. He has made at least one three-pointer in eight consecutive outings, totaling 19 during that span. Sakota entered this season with just eight career treys in 20 appearances.

- Idan Tretout had his best scoring performance of his career against UMass, finishing with a career-high 14 points on a personal-record six field goals. The junior also pulled down a career-best-matching five rebounds, while logging the most minutes of his career (35).

- Louis Lesmond made his first career start on Saturday at Massachusetts. The first-year guard connected on a trio of three-pointers to finish with nine points in 36 minutes. Lesmond, who has played in seven of the Crimson's nine games, already has 15 treys, ranking third on the team behind Sakota (19) and Kirkwood (17).

- Despite having dropped two straight games, Harvard's 5-4 record through nine games is identical to the 2019-20 team that won 21 games, which was the fifth-highest total in school history.

- Entering the match-up with Babson, Harvard is 6-1 in its last seven games in the outing before final exams. The Crimson's lone blemish came in 2018-19, falling at Vermont. In 2019-20, however, Harvard downed UMass, 89-55.

- With the loss on Saturday to UMass, Harvard fell to 14-3 in games following its last 17 losses. The Crimson is looking to avoid its first three-game losing streak since dropping three straight in 2017-18 (Dec. 23, 2017 at George Washington, Dec. 30, 2017 at Minnesota, Jan. 2, 2018 vs. Vermont).

- Harvard and Babson are meeting for the seventh time in series history and for the first time since 1996-97.

- The Crimson and Beavers met six consecutive seasons, beginning in 1991-92, with Harvard winning the last five. Babson won the first get-together, 100-80. Outside of a five-point win in 1993-94, the Crimson's average margin of victory in its other four victories has been 31.8 points.

- Harvard's match-up with Babson will mark the Crimson's third this season vs. a Boston-area school. Harvard has already defeated MIT and Northeastern, and is 32-10 vs. schools in the area under Tommy Amaker.

- Harvard is looking to continue its stellar play against Massachusetts schools. Since the start of the 2018-19 season, the Crimson is 8-3 against Bay State programs (45-19 during Amaker era).

At the Helm

Tommy Amaker, The Thomas G. Stemberg '71 Family Endowed Coach for Harvard Men's Basketball, is in his 15th season at Harvard. He is the winningest coach in Crimson history with 256 victories and has led the program to seven Ivy League titles and eight postseason appearances.

Up Next

The Crimson returns to action on Dec. 19, when it welcomes Holy Cross to Lavietes Pavilion. The 2 p.m. ET game will air live on ESPN+. Tickets to the game are available at tickets.gocrimson.com.