CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Senior guard
Idan Tretout scored a career-high 21 points, and senior guard/forward
Chris Ledlum netted 19 points, but Harvard University men's basketball fell to the University of Pennsylvania, 80-72, on Saturday afternoon at Lavietes Pavilion.
Facing a 14-point deficit with 10:20 to play, the Crimson (12-12, 3-7 Ivy) used a 14-3 run to pull within 62-59 with 3:37 to go before the visiting Quakers (14-11, 6-4 Ivy) made 18-of-21 free throws inside the game's final 3:18 to hold on for the win.
Tretout scored over 20 points for the first time in his career and grabbed a team and career-high seven rebounds. Ledlum finished in double figures for the 22
nd time in 24 games this season while sophomore guard
Evan Nelson also scored in double figures with 13 points.
Harvard Highlights
- Senior guard Idan Tretout posted career highs in points (21), rebounds (seven), field goals made (eight), and 3-pointers made (three). He led the Crimson in points, rebounds, and assists (three), while making 8-of-15 field goals and 3-of-5 3-pointers.
- Tretout scored over 20 points for the first time in his career and led the Crimson in scoring for the second time this season. He paced Harvard in rebounds for the first time in his career and led the team in assists for the sixth time this season. Tretout scored in double figures for the 10th time this year and for the seventh time in his last eight games.
- Senior guard/forward Chris Ledlum netted 19 points alongside five rebounds and two steals, while connecting on 7-of-16 field goals and 2-of-5 3-pointers. He scored in double figures for the 22nd time in 24 games this year.
- Sophomore guard Evan Nelson tallied 13 points, four rebounds, a team-best three assists, and two steals. He converted 7-of-8 free throws and 2-of-5 3-pointers. Nelson led the team in assists for the 14th time in 2022-23 and scored in double figures for the sixth time.
- Junior forward Justice Ajogbor posted eight points, three rebounds, and three steals, senior guard Luka Sakota chipped in six points, and junior guard Sam Silverstein added five boards and three steals.
Gallery: (2-11-2023) Men's Basketball vs. Penn
How It Happened
- After Penn opened the game with a 14-4 lead, the Crimson pulled within 18-13 with 10:56 to go in the first half behind a 9-4 spurt. A 3-pointer from Nelson and jumper from AJogbor capped the stretch. Harvard later used a 6-2 burst – with all six points coming from Ajogbor – to remain within 25-19 with 6:24 left in the opening half.
- With the Quakers leading 35-22, Harvard used another 9-4 spurt to cut the margin to 39-31 with 1:37 to play until halftime. Ledlum scored five points on the run while Tretout netted the other four. The visitors led 41-31 at the intermission.
- Following a basket from Penn to open the second half, the Crimson answered with a 12-5 run to trim the deficit to 48-43 with 15:03 remaining. A dunk from Ledlum and back-to-back 3-pointers from Tretout and Nelson highlighted the stretch. Penn responded with an 11-2 streak to move ahead 59-45 with 10:20 to play.
- The Crimson scored the game's next eight points and pulled within 62-59 with 3:37 left behind a 14-3 run. A pair of layups from Ledlum catalyzed the initial 8-0 burst before a 3-pointer from Tretout and an old-fashioned 3-point play from Silverstein off a steal-and-score capped the streak.
- The Quakers then made 18-of-21 free throws over the game's final 3:18. After Penn used eight free throws to move ahead 70-59 with 1:19 left, Tretout scored nine points and Sakota netted four points inside of the last 1:10 while the visitors connected on another 10 shots from the free throw line in that span.
Next Up
Harvard plays in its final back-to-back weekend of the season when it competes at Columbia on Friday, Feb. 17 at 7:00 p.m. (ESPN+/SNY) and at Cornell on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+).
