CHICAGO – Sophomore forward
Chisom Okpara tallied game highs in points (19) and rebounds (nine), but Harvard University men's basketball fell at Loyola University Chicago, 75-53, on Saturday afternoon at Gentile Arena.
Playing in its final road non-league game of the season, the Crimson (6-3) trailed the Ramblers (5-3) at halftime, 42-24, cutting the margin to as close as 54-41 in the second half before the hosts closed out the game.
Okpara scored in double figures for the seventh time in eight games played this year with his 19-point, nine-rebound effort, while making a career-high 10-of-15 free throws. First-year guard
Malik Mack netted 10 points and has finished in double figures in all nine games this season.
Harvard Highlights
- Sophomore forward Chisom Okpara posted game highs in points (19) and rebounds (nine) while making a career-high 10-of-15 free throws. He scored in double figures for the seventh time this season and 16th time in his career.
- Okpara became the first member of the Crimson to hit 10 or more free throws in a game since Chris Ledlum '23 made 10 shots from the foul line against Iona on Nov. 13, 2021.
- First-year guard Malik Mack scored 10 points with four rebounds and two steals. He has scored in double figures in all nine games this season.
- First-year forward Thomas Batties II scored seven points, first-year guard Xavier Nesbitt netted six points in his hometown, sophomore guard Chandler Piggé added five points and five boards, and first-year forward Luca Ace-Nasteski grabbed a career-high eight rebounds.
- First-year guard Payton Pitts – a Chicago native – made his collegiate debut.
Gallery: (12-2-2023) Men's Basketball at Loyola Chicago
How It Happened
- After Loyola opened the game with a 13-2 lead, Okpara scored the Crimson's next seven points to trim the margin to 19-9 at the 11:08 mark of the first half. The Ramblers then used a 9-0 run to pull ahead 28-9 with 8:03 left in the half. The hosts moved the margin to 39-15 with 2:16 to go until the break.
- The Crimson then scored nine consecutive points from three different scorers to pull within 39-24 with 40.4 seconds on the clock. Loyola brought a 42-24 edge into halftime.
- In the second half, Harvard used a 7-2 spurt to pull within 50-34 with 14:15 left following a 3-pointer from Batties II.
- The Crimson later used seven straight points – including five points from Nesbitt – to whittle the deficit to 13 points at 54-41 with 9:15 remaining but could come no closer the rest of the way.
Next Up
Harvard hosts Army West Point on Friday, Dec. 8 at 7:00 p.m. (NESN/ESPN+) at Lavietes Pavilion.
