CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – First-year guard
Malik Mack scored a team-high 20 points with a game-best six assists, but Harvard University men's basketball dropped a 78-65 decision to Yale University on Saturday afternoon at Lavietes Pavilion.
Opening a four-game homestand in front of a sold-out crowd of 1,636 fans, the Crimson (10-7, 1-3 Ivy) held a 29-19 lead with 3:33 left in the first half before the visiting Bulldogs (13-6, 4-0 Ivy) gained a 33-31 edge at halftime and held onto the advantage in the second half to remain unbeaten in conference play.
Mack reached the 20-point plateau for the sixth time this season and hit a career-high 11-of-12 free throws as part of his 20-point effort. Sophomore guard
Chandler Piggé netted 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting, and sophomore forward
Chisom Okpara added 12 points.
The Crimson hosted its "Suits and Sneakers" game against the Bulldogs. The American Cancer Society's Coaches vs. Cancer – Suits and Sneakers Week (Jan. 22-28, 2024) is a nationwide event that unites coaches across the country to raise funds and awareness about the fight against cancer. While coaching games during the week, coaches wear sneakers with their suits as a visible reminder of their support of the American Cancer Society.
Harvard Highlights
- First-year guard Malik Mack scored a team-high 20 points to go with a game-best six assists and three rebounds, while making a career-high 11-of-12 free throws. He reached the 20-point plateau for the sixth time this season and finished in double figures for the 13th time in 14 games played. Mack connected on double-figure free throws for the first time in his career. He dished out five or more assists for the seventh time in 2023-24 and for the third straight game.
- Sophomore guard Chandler Piggé netted 13 points on 6-of-9 field goals, including 5-of-5 shooting inside the arc. He scored in double figures for the seventh time this season, while adding three rebounds and two assists.
- Sophomore forward Chisom Okpara contributed 12 points on 5-of-11 field goals and 2-of-3 free throws, while chipping in three rebounds and a game-high two steals. He posted a double-figure scoring effort for the 15th time in 16 games played this year.
- Senior forward Justice Ajogbor registered game highs in rebounds (seven) and blocks (three) to go with seven points. He blocked three of more shots for the sixth time in 10 games played this season.
- For the game, Harvard held advantages in points off turnovers (14-7) and points in the paint (34-26).
Gallery: (1-27-2024) Men's Basketball vs. Yale
How It Happened
- After Yale opened the game with a 7-2 lead, Harvard used a 17-4 run to pull ahead 19-11 with 9:38 left in the first half. During the run, Mack hit 7-of-7 free throws, Piggé scored four points, and first-year forward Thomas Batties II hit a 3-pointer.
- The Crimson pushed its lead to 10 points at 27-17 after a 3-pointer from junior guard Louis Lesmond and a 3-point play from Okpara. Harvard remained ahead at 29-19 with 3:33 to go in the half before the visitors used a 14-2 run to bring a 33-31 edge into the locker room.
- A dunk from Ajogbor kept Harvard within 45-38 with 16:58 to go before Yale stretched the margin to 52-38 at the 13:54 mark of the second half. An 8-1 run from the Crimson that included a 3-point play from Mack trimmed the deficit to 55-48 with 11:15 to play. Harvard could pull no closer over the final 11 minutes.
Postgame Quotes
- "Obviously a tough outcome for us. We had a 10-point lead late in the first half, and they closed very strong. I was disappointed for us how we closed the half, and then the start of the second half, their 3-point shooting pushed it out and gave them the cushion they needed." – Tommy Amaker, The Thomas G. Stemberg '71 Family Endowed Coach for Harvard Men's Basketball
- "They are a good team. They played a very good brand of ball. I think they are very balanced. I've used that word a lot with our team through the years when we have been really good. You could see that in them. They get it from a lot of different places which makes it difficult to defend. Nevertheless, I just felt that our defense let us down in the second half." – Coach Amaker
Next Up
Harvard hosts Columbia on Friday, Feb. 2 at 7:00 p.m. (ESPN+) and Cornell on Saturday, Feb. 3 at 7:00 p.m. (ESPN+) at Lavietes Pavilion in its first back-to-back Ivy League weekend of the season.
