CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – First-year guard
Malik Mack scored a game-high 26 points on 8-of-10 field goals and 6-of-6 free throws, and sophomore forward
Chisom Okpara netted a season-high 23 points as Harvard University men's basketball defeated American University, 80-75, on Wednesday night at Lavietes Pavilion.
Improving to 3-0 at home on the season, the Crimson (6-2) gained a 42-31 lead at halftime behind 22 first-half points on 7-of-7 shooting from Mack and held off a second-half comeback attempt from the Eagles (4-4) with Okpara providing 17 second-half points.
Mack – the nation's leading scorer among first-years – scored over 25 points for the third time this season, hitting 8-of-10 field goals, 4-of-4 3-pointers, and 6-of-6 free throws. Okpara finished over 20 points for the third time this year, making 8-of-14 field goals and adding a team-best six rebounds.
Harvard Highlights
- First-year guard Malik Mack scored a game-high 26 points on 8-of-10 field goals, 4-of-4 3-pointers, and 6-of-6 free throws, while adding five rebounds and three assists. He hit his first eight shots from the field. Mack eclipsed 25 points for the third time this season, broke 20 points for the fifth time, and finished in double figures for the eighth time.
- Sophomore forward Chisom Okpara netted a season-high 23 points on 8-of-14 field goals, 1-of-1 3-pointer, and 6-of-11 free throws, while grabbing a team-best six rebounds. He scored over 20 points for the third time this season and notched double-figures for the sixth time.
- The duo's effort marked the second time this season that the Crimson has tallied two scorers with 20 or more points. Mack (20) and sophomore guard Chandler Piggé (23) each reached the 20-point plateau at Rice (Nov. 10).
- Junior guard Louis Lesmond scored nine points, hitting a trio of 3-pointers, first-year forward Thomas Batties II added nine points on 4-of-7 shooting with three rebounds, and Piggé chipped in seven points and three boards.
- As a team, Harvard hit 10-of-19 shots from 3-point distance (52.9 percent), marking its best percentage from 3-point range in a game this year. The Crimson hit 10 or more triples for the third time in 2023.
- Harvard led 21-9 in points off turnovers, forcing the Eagles into 14 turnovers while only committing seven turnovers.
Gallery: (11-29-2023) Men's Basketball vs. American
How It Happened
- Harvard gained a 17-12 edge at the 10:46 mark of the first half following back-to-back 3-pointers from Mack and Batties II. The hosts remained ahead at 21-20 with 8:39 to go in the opening half.
- The Crimson then used a 14-2 run to pull ahead 35-22 with 5:01 to go until halftime. Mack scored the final 12 points of the run, hitting a layup, two 3-pointers, and four free throws.
- A jumper from Mack gave Harvard its largest lead of the game at 42-28 before the Crimson took a 42-31 edge into the locker room. In the first half, Mack scored 22 points on 7-of-7 field goals, 4-of-4 3-pointers, and 4-of-4 free throws.
- After American pulled within 49-45 with 16:41 remaining, the Crimson used a 13-5 stretch to pull ahead 62-50 with 12:29 to go. Okpara and Piggé each hit 3-pointers during the run.
- A pair of dunks from Okpara just over a minute apart kept the Crimson up 70-62 with 3:56 to play after the Eagles came within two possessions at 66-60 and 68-62.
- The visitors cut the margin to 70-67 with 2:51 left before the Crimson responded with a 3-pointer from Lesmond and bucket from Okpara to establish a 75-67 edge with 2:05 on the clock.
- Okpara and Mack combined to make five free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
Postgame Quotes
"We knew how hard a week this was going to be for us after the trip, travel, and physical game at Indiana. I'm very pleased with our guys and the effort that they showed. We have to get on the road again, so we have to make sure that we keep them rested and healthy. I'm really pleased with the effort that they showed tonight against a hungry, tough basketball team." –
Tommy Amaker, The Thomas G. Stemberg '71 Family Endowed Coach for Harvard Men's Basketball
"Obviously, Mack has been great. He's shooting 8-for-10 from the floor – I guess I'm not getting him enough shots with that shooting percentage. What efficiency. What poise. What shot making ability. We feed off of it." –
Tommy Amaker
"I was just taking what the defense was giving me. In the second half, it was a little different – they changed their defense up, so it opened it up for other guys. In the first half, when I had a lot of my points, taking what the defense was giving me was the main thing." –
Malik Mack
Next Up
Harvard plays at Loyola Chicago on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 4:00 p.m. ET/3:00 p.m. CT (ESPN+/NBC Sports Chicago Plus).
