CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Junior guard
Chandler Piggé tallied a team-high 16 points and a game-best nine rebounds to lead four Crimson in double figures, but Harvard Men's Basketball dropped a 77-63 decision to Furman University on Saturday afternoon at Lavietes Pavilion.
Playing for the first time since Dec. 8 following the break for finals, the Crimson (3-8) held a 32-31 lead at halftime and remained within 59-56 with 7:08 to play before the visiting Paladins (12-1) – winners of 12 of their first 13 games – took the victory on World Basketball Day.
Piggé totaled team highs in points (16), rebounds (nine), and steals (three), while shooting 6-of-11 from the floor, 2-of-5 from 3-point distance, and 2-of-2 on free throws. Sophomore forward
Thomas Batties II (14 points, six rebounds), senior guard
Evan Nelson (11 points, game-high five assists), and senior guard
Louis Lesmond (11 points, three boards) joined him in double figures.
Harvard Highlights
- Junior guard Chandler Piggé totaled team highs in points (16), rebounds (nine), and steals (three) to go with two assists, while shooting 6-of-11 from the floor, 2-of-5 from 3-point distance, and 2-of-2 from the free throw line. Piggé scored in double figures for the eighth time this year and led the Crimson in scoring for the fourth time. The Ivy League's leading rebounder, Piggé grabbed nine or more boards for the third straight game.
- Sophomore forward Thomas Batties II posted 14 points and six rebounds, while hitting 2-of-4 3-pointers and 2-of-2 free throws. He scored in double figures for the fourth time on the year.
- Senior guard Evan Nelson tallied 11 points, a game-high five assists, and three rebounds, while making 2-of-3 3-pointers and 3-of-4 free throws. He led the Crimson in assists for the third time this year and distributed five assists for the third time in the last five games.
- Senior guard Louis Lesmond netted 11 points, made a pair of 3-pointers, and added three rebounds. He scored in double figures for the third time in his last four games.
- All four of the Crimson's double-figure scorers – Piggé, Batties II, Nelson, and Lesmond – hit two 3-pointers in the game.
- Harvard made 11-of-12 free throws (91.7 percent) in the contest, shooting 75 percent or better at the line for the fourth straight game and for the fifth time in the last six contests. For the season, the Crimson has shot a league-best 75.6 percent on free throws.
Gallery: (12-21-2024) Men's Basketball vs. Furman
How It Happened
- Harvard jumped out to a 12-9 lead at the 15:06 mark of the first half as a 3-point play from Lesmond, dunk from Piggé, and 3-pointer from Nelson helped the Crimson take an early edge.
- Following a 9-0 run from the Paladins, 3-pointers from Lesmond and Piggé helped Harvard pull within 20-18 with 11:38 left in the opening half. Furman then pulled ahead 31-22 with 3:29 remaining in the first half.
- The Crimson closed the first half on a 10-0 run to take a 32-21 advantage at halftime. A 3-point play from first-year guard Ben Eisendrath and 3-pointer from Batties II allowed the Crimson to take a lead into the locker room.
- After Furman moved ahead 43-34 behind a 13-2 run to open the second half, Harvard responded with 11 unanswered points to re-gain a 45-43 edge with 13:21 to play. Lesmond, Nelson, and Piggé all hit 3-pointers during the stretch.
- The Paladins countered with a 10-0 run to pull back ahead, 53-45, with 10:29 to go.
- The Crimson pulled within one possession at 57-54 following a tip-in from Batties II and again at 59-56 with 7:08 left before the visitors netted seven straight points to move the margin to 66-56 with 4:09 to play. Harvard could pull no closer than eight points inside of the final four minutes.
Postgame Quotes
"They are a really good team as we knew. They are very efficient, and they make you pay for mistakes. When you have a well-oiled machine like they do right now, anytime there is a breakdown by you, they cash in on it. That's the mark of an outstanding team. I thought we battled as well as we could for stretches, particularly the end of the first half." –
Tommy Amaker, The Thomas G. Stemberg '71 Family Endowed Coach for Harvard Men's Basketball
Next Up
Harvard plays at Iona University on Sunday, Dec. 29 at 1:00 p.m. (ESPN+) at the Hynes Athletic Center in its final road non-league game of the season.
