CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Senior guard/forward
Chris Ledlum led five Crimson in double figures with game highs in points (24) and rebounds (eight) as Harvard University men's basketball shot above 60 percent from the field and above 50 percent from 3-point distance to outlast Cornell University, 95-89, on Saturday afternoon at Lavietes Pavilion.
Closing out a three-game homestand, the Crimson (12-8, 3-3 Ivy) led for close to 32 minutes in the contest, held a 49-46 edge at halftime, and used a 13-3 run in the second half to turn a 68-66 deficit into a 79-71 advantage with 5:39 to play to top the visiting Big Red (14-5, 4-2 Ivy), who entered the day as one of two teams atop the Ivy League standings.
Alongside Ledlum, senior guard
Idan Tretout (17 points), junior guard
Sam Silverstein (16), junior forward
Justice Ajogbor (12), and senior guard
Luka Sakota (10) all scored in double figures as the Crimson posted a season-high point total. As a team, Harvard shot 60.4 percent (32-of-53) from the field, 55.6 percent from 3-point distance (10-of-18), and 80.8 percent (21-of-26) from the free throw line.
Harvard Highlights
- Senior guard/forward Chris Ledlum led all players in points (24) and rebounds (eight), while making 9-of-17 field goals and 2-of-5 3-pointers. He scored in double figures for the 18th time in 20 games this year, eclipsed the 20-point plateau for the ninth time, and led the Crimson in scoring for the 16th time. He paced Harvard in rebounding for the 15th time in 2022-23.
- Senior guard Idan Tretout tied his career high with 17 points, connecting on 5-of-10 field goals, 3-of-5 3-pointers, and 4-of-4 free throws, while adding four rebounds and two assists. He scored in double figures for the seventh time this season and for the fourth straight game.
- Junior guard Sam Silverstein tallied 16 points, four rebounds, four assists, and two steals. He netted 5-of-8 field goals, 2-of-3 3-pointers, and 4-of-4 free throws to score in double figures for the sixth time this year.
- Junior forward Justice Ajogbor posted 12 points on 5-of-6 field goals and 2-of-2 free throws to go with four rebounds. He went into double figures for the third time this season.
- Senior guard Luka Sakota notched 10 points, four assists, and two rebounds, while connecting on 7-of-8 free throws. He scored in double figures for the eighth time this season and 25th time in his career.
- Sophomore guard Evan Nelson matched his career high with seven assists, scored nine points on 4-of-5 field goals and 1-of-2 treys, and chipped in four boards. He was a game-best +19 in his 23:30 on the floor.
- First-year forward Chandler Piggé added seven points on 3-of-3 field goals, three rebounds, and two assists.
- Harvard scored over 90 points for the second time this season and placed five players in double-figures for the second time on the year. The Crimson also accomplished both feats against Elon (Nov. 13).
- The Crimson shot 60.4 percent (32-of-53) from the field, 55.6 percent from 3-point distance (10-of-18), and 80.8 percent (21-of-26) from the free throw line. The team hit season-best marks in field goal percentage and 3-point percentage, eclipsing the 60 percent and 50 percent marks respectively for the first time this season. Harvard made 10 or more 3-pointers for the third time this year.
- As a team, Harvard held a 42-32 edge in points in the paint behind a 30-22 rebounding margin.
Gallery: (1-21-2023) Men's Basketball vs. Cornell
How It Happened
- Neither team held a lead larger than two possessions in the first half with the Crimson holding the large lead at six points. In the opening 20 minutes the Crimson shot 58.1 percent from the field and 63.6 percent from 3-point distance while the Big Red countered with 60.0 percent shooting from the floor and 66.7 percent shooting from behind the arc.
- With Harvard holding a 21-20 edge with 11:33 left in the first half, the Crimson used a 10-4 spurt to pull ahead 31-25 at the 8:39 mark. Four points from Silverstein and a 3-pointer from Tretout keyed the run.
- After Cornell moved ahead 39-36, Harvard scored eight of the next 10 points to re-gain a 44-41 edge with 2:16 to go until halftime. Ledlum and Silverstein each hit a 3-pointer before Silverstein capped the run with a layup.
- Tretout netted the Crimson's last five points of the first half on a 3-pointer and driving layup to keep the hosts up 49-46 at the break.
- The Crimson scored the first six points of the second half to move ahead 55-46 with 18:21 remaining. Harvard remained ahead 59-50 off a transition dunk from Ajogbor following a series of passes from Tretout to Ledlum to Silverstein before the Big Red used a 14-5 run to knot the score at 64-64 with 11:32 to play.
- After Cornell took a 68-66 advantage with 8:50 left, the Crimson responded with a 13-3 run to re-gain a 79-71 edge with 5:39 to go. Ledlum scored nine points during the run, including a 3-pointer, while Ajogbor netted the other four points, including a dunk off an assist from Ledlum.
- Harvard maintained an 83-75 lead at the 2:25 mark following two free throws from Ajogbor and an 86-78 edge with 1:19 to play following a 3-pointer from Nelson. The Crimson then made 9-of-10 free throws inside of the final 1:01 to seal the win.
Postgame Quotes
- "We knew that it was going to be a battle for 40 minutes. The style they play can get pretty hectic. We had a really good week in practice. We knew we had to be focused for the full 40 minutes because they can score in bunches. We shot the ball pretty well and did decently defensively, but they still got up around 90 points. We hung in there, trusted the game plan, and pulled it out." – Sam Silverstein
- "This game, more than any the whole season, we stuck together as a unit – all five guys on the floor, coaches, and the subs that came in and had big contributions. Games against Cornell can get wild, but we trusted each other and stuck with it." – Silverstein
- "It wasn't the prettiest at times, but we executed and did exactly what we had to do to come out with a win. A big thing for our program is trust. We really trusted one another today, and it helped us get the win. We played really together and played two full halves of basketball." – Chris Ledlum
Next Up
Harvard closes the first half of Ivy League play at Penn on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 2:00 p.m. (ESPN+) at The Palestra in Philadelphia.
