CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Senior guard/forward
Chris Ledlum totaled a double-double on 23 points and 10 rebounds, and the Crimson held the Lions below 30 percent shooting while gaining a 50-24 rebounding margin as Harvard University men's basketball defeated Columbia University, 73-51, on Saturday afternoon at Lavietes Pavilion in its Ivy League home opener.
Playing at home for the first time since Dec. 18 and beginning a stretch of six home games in its next seven contests, the Crimson (11-7, 2-2 Ivy) closed the first half on a 10-0 run to take a 36-18 lead at halftime and maintained an advantage between 14 and 22 points over the course of the second half on its way to the victory over the Lions (6-13, 1-3 Ivy).
Ledlum posted his sixth double-double of the season and his fourth in his last five outings while junior forward
Justice Ajogbor tallied 10 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks, and senior guard
Idan Tretout registered 11 points and four rebounds to join Ledlum in double figures.
Harvard Highlights
- Senior guard/forward Chris Ledlum totaled 23 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and two steals, while making 8-of-14 field goals, 3-of-3 3-pointers, and 4-of-5 free throws. He posted his sixth double-double of the year and his fourth in his last five games. Ledlum scored in double figures for the 17th time in 18 games this year and eclipsed the 20-point plateau for the eighth time on the year.
- Junior forward Justice Ajogbor recorded 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting alongside career highs in rebounds (nine) and blocks (four). He scored in double figures for the second time in his career and came within one rebound of his first career double-double.
- Senior guard Idan Tretout posted 11 points and four boards, while making 3-of-6 3-pointers. He scored in double figures for the fifth time this year and for the third time in his last five games.
- Senior guard Luka Sakota scored eight points on 4-of-9 shooting, sophomore guard Evan Nelson added seven points on 3-of-5 shooting with four assists and three rebounds, junior guard Sam Silverstein chipped in five points and five boards, and junior forward Josh Hemmings grabbed a career-best eight rebounds.
- As a team, Harvard held advantages in rebounds (50-24), assists (18-3), fastbreak points (14-2), points in the paint (40-18), and second-chance points (16-4). The Crimson grabbed 50 or more rebounds for the second time this season.
- The Crimson defense limited the visitors to 27.6-percent shooting (16-of-58) for the game.
Gallery: (1-14-2023) Men's Basketball vs. Columbia
How It Happened
- Harvard staked itself to a 22-13 advantage at the 7:10 mark of the first half, using a 16-6 stretch to gain that lead. The Crimson sank five 3-pointers in the opening 13 minutes and held a 19-7 rebounding advantage. Ledlum, Tretout, Nelson, and Silverstein all hit 3-pointers over that span while Ajogbor threw down a pair of dunks.
- The Crimson closed the half on a 10-0 run, turning a 26-18 edge with 4:09 left in the half into a 36-18 lead at the break. Tretout scored five points during the burst while Ledlum connected on a 3-pointer.
- At halftime, Harvard led in rebounds (31-10), offensive rebounds (12-3), and second-chance points (14-0), while making 7-of-15 3-pointers (46.7 percent).
- In the second half, the Crimson maintained a lead between 14 and 22 points for the duration of the stanza.
- Harvard went up 51-30 with 11:16 to play after scoring six straight points behind a pair of baskets from Nelson and a layup from Sakota.
- The Crimson kept the lead at 21 points at 59-38 with 7:12 to play and again at 62-41 with 6:04 left as Ledlum threw down a slam dunk in transition.
- After Columbia pulled within 65-51 with 2:59 left, the Crimson closed the game on an 8-0 run on a pair of field goals from first-year guard Chandler Piggé and buckets from junior forward Josh Hemmings and first-year guard Greg Cooper.
Next Up
Harvard hosts Dartmouth on Monday, Jan. 16 at 2:00 p.m. (ESPN+) on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
