CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Sophomore guard
Evan Nelson scored a game-high 19 points, and the Crimson cut a 14-point second-half deficit down to one point before Harvard University men's basketball dropped a 60-59 decision to Dartmouth College on Monday afternoon at Lavietes Pavilion on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Facing a 44-30 deficit early in the second half, the Crimson (11-8, 2-3 Ivy) whittled the margin down to one point at 60-59 with 1:19 to play after senior guard
Idan Tretout scored seven straight points before the Big Green (7-12, 3-2 Ivy) held on for the victory.
Harvard Highlights
- Sophomore guard Evan Nelson scored a game-high 19 points on 5-of-9 field goals, 3-of-5 3-pointers, and 6-of-6 free throws, while adding three rebounds and three steals. He scored in double figures for the fourth time this season and led the Crimson in scoring for the second time.
- Senior guard Idan Tretout scored 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting, including netting the game's final seven points inside of the final three minutes. He finished in double figures for the sixth time this season and for the third straight game.
- Junior forward Justice Ajogbor tallied eight points on 4-of-6 shooting, five rebounds, and two assists.
- Senior guard/forward Chris Ledlum added seven points and five rebounds despite being limited to nine minutes in the first half after picking up three personal fouls and then being assessed his fourth personal foul less than one minute into the second half.
- Junior guard Sam Silverstein chipped in six points, four rebounds, and two assists, first-year guard Chandler Piggé notched five points and two steals, and senior guard Luka Sakota posted team highs in rebounds (six) and assists (three).
Gallery: (1-16-2023) Men's Basketball vs. Dartmouth
How It Happened
- After Dartmouth opened the game with a 12-2 lead, the Crimson pulled within 12-7 at the 14:50 mark of the first half as Ledlum scored the hosts' first seven points.
- Facing a 22-11 deficit with 8:02 left in the first half, Silverstein hit a 3-pointer and Tretout made a layup to trim the margin to 22-16 with 6:29 remaining in the half.
- Harvard used a 6-0 run behind four free throws from Nelson and two free throws from Tretout to pull within 27-24 with 3:12 to go in the half before Dartmouth brought a 34-26 edge into halftime.
- After the Big Green moved its advantage to 44-30 with 17:52 to play, the Crimson used an extended 16-7 run to pull within 51-46 with 9:19 left. Six different Crimson scored during the run, and Nelson netted the final five points of the stretch.
- Nelson's second and third 3-pointers of the second half pulled Harvard within 55-52 with 6:35 remaining before the Big Green scored the next five points to move ahead 60-52 with 3:13 left.
- Tretout then responded with the game's next seven points, making a jumper and layup before sinking a 3-pointer to whittle the margin to 60-59 with 1:19 to play. The Crimson gained possession twice inside of the final minute with a chance to take the lead before the Big Green escaped with the win.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- "I'm very pleased that our conference has taken that upon ourselves to celebrate the legacy of the great man, Dr. Martin Luther King, for us to play games in recognition and honor of that is very meaningful." – Tommy Amaker, The Thomas G. Stemberg '71 Family Endowed Coach for Harvard Men's Basketball
- "We started something, which I think is part of the reason our league has done it, when we played at Howard University a number of years ago – once we did it on the weekend of the holiday and once we did it on the day like today. For two years we did that. I think that sparked something within more teams and other conferences, but certainly in our league." – Coach Amaker
- "Now we have all of our teams playing on this great day and honoring a great man. Our country is able to recognize his legacy for all people, which is what he championed. We have used many of his quotes to try to teach our players. We have gone down to the King Memorial in Washington and The King Center in Atlanta so it's very meaningful for us." – Coach Amaker
Next Up
Harvard hosts Cornell on Saturday, Jan. 21 at 2:00 p.m. (ESPN+) at Lavietes Pavilion.
