CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Junior guard
Chandler Piggé scored a team-high 15 points to lead four Crimson in double figures, but Harvard Men's Basketball fell to the University of Pennsylvania, 82-67, on Monday afternoon at Lavietes Pavilion on Martin Luther King Day.
The Crimson (6-10, 1-2 Ivy) remained within one possession at 56-53 with 6:56 remaining and within two possessions at 69-63 with 2:36 left before the visiting Quakers (5-11, 1-2 Ivy) held on for the decision.
Piggé finished in double figures for the 13
th time in 16 games this season, scoring 15 points and shooting 7-of-12 from the floor. First-year guard
Austin Hunt posted 13 points and a game-high eight rebounds, while shooting 6-of-9 from the field, first-year guard
Robert Hinton scored 13 points, and sophomore forward
Thomas Batties II totaled 12 points, six rebounds, a team-high three assists, and a game-best three blocks to round out the Crimson's double-figure scorers.
Harvard Highlights
- Junior guard Chandler Piggé tallied a team-high 15 points, four rebounds, and two steals, while shooting 7-of-12 from the floor. He scored in double figures for the 13th time this season and led the Crimson in scoring for the eighth time. Piggé finished in double figures for the seventh straight game.
- First-year guard Austin Hunt posted 13 points, a game-high eight rebounds, and two steals, while connecting on 6-of-9 field goals. He scored in double figures for the third time this season and led the Crimson in rebounding for the second time.
- First-year guard Robert Hinton netted 13 points with three rebounds, while making 5-of-8 field goals. He finished in double figures for the 11th time on the season.
- Sophomore forward Thomas Batties II totaled 12 points, six rebounds, a team-high three assists, and game-best three blocks. He scored in double figures for the ninth time this year and for the sixth straight game.
- Senior guard Evan Nelson added nine points and a career-high six rebounds, while converting 3-of-4 field goals and 2-of-2 free throws.
- The Crimson held advantages in rebounds (34-28) and second-chance points (16-7).
- Harvard tallied four double-figure scorers for the 10th time in its last 12 games, including in all three Ivy League games on the year.
Gallery: (1-20-2025) Men's Basketball vs. Penn
How It Happened
- Harvard opened the game with an 11-7 lead just over five minutes into the contest following a 3-pointer from Batties II before Penn moved ahead 16-13 at the 11:29 mark of the first half.
- Hunt scored five of the Crimson's next seven points to tie the score at 20-20 with 7:49 left in the opening half. Penn countered with seven straight points to move ahead 27-20 with 6:00 to go until the break.
- Harvard trimmed the margin to 27-25 following a 3-pointer from first-year guard Tey Barbour and remained within 36-30 following an old-fashioned 3-point play from Hinton before the Quakers took a 39-30 lead into the locker room.
- Trailing 51-40 with 14:39 remaining, the Crimson used a 9-0 run to pull within 51-49 with 10:16 left. Hinton netted five points during the streak, including a 3-pointer.
- The Crimson remained within one possession at 56-53 with 6:56 on the clock before Penn pushed the margin to 67-55 with 4:36 to play behind an 11-2 run.
- A 3-pointer from Batties II trimmed the edge to 69-63 with 2:36 to play prior to the visitors holding on for the win, including making 8-of-8 free throws in the final 1:11.
Postgame Quotes
"I told our guys we were playing against a desperate team that was fighting for a win. We knew that coming into it. They displayed that. They played that way. They were very deserving of victory, and we weren't." –
Tommy Amaker, The Thomas G. Stemberg '71 Family Endowed Coach for Harvard Men's Basketball
Next Up
Harvard plays at Yale on Saturday, Jan. 25 at 2:00 p.m. (ESPN+).
