HANOVER, N.H. – Junior guard
Sam Silverstein led four Crimson in double figures with a game and career-high 20 points, but Harvard University men's basketball fell at Dartmouth College, 87-82, on Saturday afternoon at Leede Arena in both teams' season finale.
The Crimson (14-14, 5-9 Ivy) remained tied with the Big Green (10-18, 6-8 Ivy) at 54-54 with 11:51 to play, stayed within 66-63 with 6:46 left, and sliced a 12-point deficit with under 90 seconds to play down to three points with six seconds to go before the hosts held on for the win.
Silverstein netted his 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting, hitting the 20-point mark for the first time in his career. Sophomore guard
Evan Nelson scored 19 points on 8-of-11 field goals alongside six assists and five rebounds, senior guard/forward
Chris Ledlum tallied 18 points, first-year forward
Chisom Okpara added 10 points, and senior guard
Idan Tretout contributed nine points, four assists, and four steals.
Harvard posted a record of .500 or better for the 13
th time in the last 14 competitive seasons.
Gallery: (3-4-2023) Men's Basketball at Dartmouth
Harvard Highlights
- Junior guard Sam Silverstein scored a game and career-high 20 points on 8-of-10 field goals, 2-of-4 3-pointers, and 2-of-2 free throws. He hit the 20-point mark for the first time in his career and set a career high with eight field goals made. Silverstein scored in double figures for the seventh time this season and led the team in scoring for the second time.
- Sophomore guard Evan Nelson netted 19 points on 8-of-11 field goals and 3-of-5 3-pointers, while tallying a game-high six assists, a team-best five rebounds, and three steals. He matched his career highs in field goals made and steals. Nelson scored in double figures for the eighth time this year. He paced the team in assists for the 17th time this year and in rebounding for the first time.
- Senior guard/forward Chris Ledlum posted 18 points on 7-of-15 field goals. He finished the season with 527 points, ranking fifth on Harvard's single-season points list. Ledlum scored in double figures in 26 of 28 games on the year.
- First-year forward Chisom Okpara registered 10 points on 4-of-8 field goals, scoring in double figures for the ninth time this season.
- Senior guard Idan Tretout totaled nine points, four assists, a career-high four steals, and three rebounds. He scored nine or more points in each of the final 15 games of the year.
- Harvard held a 22-15 lead in points off turnovers.
- The Crimson shot 52.4 percent from the field (33-of-63) and 41.7 percent from 3-point distance (10-of-24).
How It Happened
- The two teams stood tied at 19-19 with 10:39 to go in the first half – during a stretch that included two 3-pointers and an old-fashioned 3-point play from Ledlum – before Dartmouth used a 9-0 run to move ahead 28-19 with 7:59 to go in the opening half.
- A 3-pointer from Silverstein and another 3-point play from Ledlum cut the margin to 32-27 with 5:16 to go until halftime.
- Another trey from Silverstein, a 3-point play from Okpara, and a jumper from Nelson sliced the deficit to 41-37 prior to the Big Green taking a 43-37 lead into the locker room.
- Nelson connected on a trio of 3-pointers inside the first 9:10 of the second half as the Crimson knotted the score at 54-54 with 11:51 to play. Dartmouth then used a 9-2 spurt to pull ahead 63-56 with 8:59 to go.
- Harvard responded with a 7-3 stretch, including a transition dunk from Silverstein, to pull back within 66-63 with 6:46 left. The Big Green countered with a 12-3 run to push its edge to 78-66 with 3:25 remaining.
- Down 12 points at 82-70 with under 90 seconds to play, the Crimson rallied to pull within three points at 85-82 with six seconds left behind a 12-3 run, including two 3-pointers from Tretout and buckets from Nelson, Ledlum, and Silverstein. Dartmouth then made two free throws to seal the decision.
