IRVINE, Calif. – Senior guard/forward
Chris Ledlum tallied game highs in points (18) and rebounds (nine) as Harvard University men's basketball made the cross-country trip to earn a 62-57 win at the University of California Irvine on Tuesday night at the Bren Events Center.
Opening a six-game road swing, the Crimson (8-4) held a 26-24 lead at halftime, built an edge as large as nine points in the second half, and made key rebounds and free throws down the stretch to hold off a comeback attempt from the host Anteaters (7-5).
Harvard Highlights
- Senior guard/forward Chris Ledlum posted game highs in points (18) and rebounds (nine), while adding two blocks. He connected on 8-of-16 field goals and 2-of-5 3-pointers. Ledlum scored in double figures for the 11th time in 12 games this year and paced the Crimson in scoring for the ninth time this season.
- Senior guard Luka Sakota tallied 12 points, four rebounds, and two assists, while making 4-of-9 field goals and 4-of-4 free throws. He netted double-figure points for the sixth time this year.
- First-year forward Chisom Okpara contributed 10 points and five rebounds, finishing in double figures for the fifth time in 2022-23.
- Junior guard Sam Silverstein registered nine points, seven rebounds, and two steals, while making 2-of-4 field goals and 4-of-5 free throws. He corralled an offensive rebound and made a pair of free throws with 15.6 seconds left to give the Crimson a two-possession lead at 59-55 lead.
- Sophomore guard Evan Nelson added seven points, five boards, two assists, and two steals.
- The Crimson out-rebounded the Anteaters, 45-35, and held a 17-6 advantage in second-chance points.
- Harvard shot a season-best 82.4 percent from the free throw line, connecting on 14-of-17 shots from the foul line.
Gallery: (12-21-2022) Men's Basketball at UC Irvine
How It Happened
- Harvard used an 11-0 run to take an early 11-4 lead with 13:37 left in the first half. Nelson and Ledlum each hit 3-pointers while Silverstein converted an old-fashioned 3-point play on the run.
- After UC Irvine took a 17-15 edge, the Crimson used an 11-5 spurt to regain a 26-22 advantage with 1:56 remaining in the half. A 3-point play from Okpara and four points from Sakota keyed the run. Harvard remained ahead 26-24 at halftime.
- With the score tied at 28-28, the Crimson used a 7-2 streak to pull ahead 35-30 with a conventional 3-point play from junior forward Josh Hemmings catalyzing the stretch.
- After the hosts again knotted the score at 35-35, Harvard scored 11 of the game's next 13 points to move ahead 46-37 with 11:23 remaining. Silverstein and Ledlum each knocked down a 3-pointer before Okpara closed the run with a slam off an assist from sophomore guard Denham Wojcik.
- UC Irvine whittled the margin to 55-53 with 4:09 to play before Ledlum made a driving layup with just over a minute remaining.
- After both teams missed the front end of one-and-one opportunities, Silverstein grabbed an offensive rebound with 15.6 seconds remaining and sank a pair of free throws on a one-and-one of his own, pushing the Crimson ahead 59-55.
- In the final 10 seconds, Silverstein added another free throw and Nelson made a pair to seal the win.
Next Up
Harvard plays at No. 4/4 Kansas on Thursday, Dec. 22 at 7:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. CT (ESPN2).
