CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – First-year guard
Robert Hinton scored a game-high 27 points in his collegiate debut, and Harvard Men's Basketball beat Marist College, 79-66, in its season and home opener on Monday night at Lavietes Pavilion.
The Crimson (1-0) gained a 41-34 lead at halftime and pushed its margin to as large as 21 points in the second half at 65-44 on its way to the victory over the visiting Red Foxes (0-1).
Hinton netted his 27 points on 9-of-12 field goals, 1-of-2 3-pointers, and 8-of-10 free throws. For the game, the Crimson shot 62.5 percent from the field (30-of-48) with nine different players entering the scoring column and six student-athletes netting at least eight points.
Harvard Highlights
- First-year guard Robert Hinton scored a game-high 27 points on 9-of-12 field goals, 1-of-2 3-pointers, and 8-of-10 free throws, while grabbing four rebounds in his first collegiate game.
- Junior guard Chandler Piggé tallied game highs in rebounds (nine) and assists (three), while netting eight points on 3-of-4 field goals and 2-of-2 free throws.
- First-year guard Austin Hunt posted nine points on 4-of-6 field goals with four rebounds and two steals.
- Sophomore forward Luca Ace-Nasteski netted nine points on 4-of-6 shooting.
- Sophomore forward Thomas Batties II added eight points, four boards, and two blocks.
- Senior guard Evan Nelson notched eight points on 3-of-5 field goals and 2-of-3 triples with two assists and two steals. Nelson played for the first time since March 4, 2023 after missing the 2023-24 season due to injury.
- As a team, Harvard shot 62.5 percent from the field (30-of-48), 41.2 percent from 3-point distance (7-of-17), and 75.0 percent from the free throw line (12-of-16).
- Nine different players scored for the Crimson with six different student-athletes netting at least eight points. Five first-years scored for Harvard.
Gallery: (11-4-2024) Men's Basketball vs. Marist
How It Happened
- Harvard opened the game with a 10-3 lead inside of the first three minutes as Ace-Nasteski netted five points on a dunk and 3-pointer and Nelson added a triple.
- The Crimson used an 8-0 run including four points from Hinton to remain ahead 22-14 before the Red Foxes took a 28-27 edge with 6:49 left in the first half.
- Harvard responded with nine consecutive points to re-claim a 36-28 advantage with 3:55 to go until the break. A 3-point play from Hinton and dunk from Batties II capped the streak. The Crimson then took a 41-27 lead into halftime.
- After Marist pulled within 45-39 early in the second half, the Crimson went on an extended 20-5 run to take a 65-44 lead – its largest of the game – with 11:28 remaining. Dunks from Batties II and Hunt highlighted the run.
- The visitors trimmed the margin to 65-54 with 8:33 left before the Crimson netted the game's next seven points to move ahead 72-54 with 6:45 to go.
- A dunk from Ace-Nasteski and 3-pointer from Hinton helped the Crimson close out the 79-66 victory.
Postgame Quotes
"I thought it was a tremendous start for us with such a young team. I'm really proud of our guys for showing such great energy to start the game. I thought playing a lot of guys and being very deep helped wear them down." –
Tommy Amaker, The Thomas G. Stemberg '71 Family Endowed Coach for Harvard Men's Basketball
"I was really impressed with
Robert Hinton. Obviously, you can see he's an outstanding player. He's creative. He's fearless. He had a spectacular performance – very efficient game. Certainly, you can see how talented he is." –
Tommy Amaker, The Thomas G. Stemberg '71 Family Endowed Coach for Harvard Men's Basketball
"After the first few minutes, I was able to adapt to the environment. My coaches and my teammates have instilled so much trust in me. That's why I have so much confidence in my game even as a first-year." –
Robert Hinton
"There's no better way to start off your college career – with a win. Like this – at home – it was amazing." –
Robert Hinton
Next Up
Harvard plays in the Veterans Classic at Navy on Friday, Nov. 8 at 8:30 p.m. (CBS Sports Network) before playing at American on Sunday, Nov. 10 at 2:00 p.m. (ESPN+).
