MONTREAL, Quebec – Sophomore forward
Chisom Okpara led four Crimson in double figures with a game-high 19 points as Harvard University men's basketball defeated McGill University, 75-47, on Monday night at Love Competition Hall in the first game of its 2023 Canada Foreign Tour.
Tipping off the first of four exhibition games during its seven-day trip to Canada, the Crimson outscored the Redbirds, 46-22 in the second half on the way to the victory.
Okpara scored his 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting with six rebounds while junior guard
Evan Nelson (17 points), sophomore guard Chandler Piggé (12 points), and sophomore center
Matt Filipowski (12 points) joined him in double figures.
Harvard Highlights
- Sophomore forward Chisom Okpara scored a game-high 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting with six rebounds and two assists.
- Junior guard Evan Nelson netted 17 points, hitting 4-of-9 3-pointers. He contributed a game-best five assists and five rebounds.
- Sophomore guard Chandler Piggé tallied 12 points on 4-of-6 field goals, 2-of-2 3-pointers, and 2-of-2 free throws. He added five boards and three assists.
- Sophomore center Matt Filipowski posted 11 points on 4-of-7 field goals and 3-of-3 free throws alongside six rebounds.
- Junior guard Tyler Simon notched game highs in rebounds (nine) and assists (five) to go with seven points and two steals.
- Senior forward Justice Ajogbor grabbed a game-best nine rebounds.
- The Crimson held the Redbirds to 29.0 percent shooting from the field and 16.0 percent shooting from 3-point distance.
How It Happened
- The Crimson took a 14-9 lead at the end of the first quarter with Nelson hitting a 3-pointer and Piggé netting four points off the bench.
- Harvard maintained a 29-25 lead at halftime. In the first half, Piggé led the Crimson with 10 points on 3-of-4 shooting, 2-of-2 triples, and 2-of-2 free throws.
- The Crimson outscored the Redbirds, 21-11, in the third quarter to open up a 50-36 advantage. In the frame, Okpara and Nelson netted 10 and seven points respectively.
- Harvard closed out the contest with a 25-11 fourth quarter. Filipowski scored seven points in the final frame and Nelson hit a pair of 3-pointers.
Gallery: (8-21-2023) Men's Basketball at McGill
Sights of Canada
- In the morning, the Crimson took a jet boat tour of the Saint Lawrence River, sailing out of the Old Port of Montreal. The tour took the team through the Lachine Rapids, a series of rapids between the Island of Montreal and the South Shore.
Next Up
Harvard plays at the University of Ottawa tomorrow – Tuesday, Aug. 22 – at 7:00 p.m. in the second game of its Canada foreign tour.
