CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Junior forward
Thomas Batties II scored a game-high 23 points in a matchup of two teams tied at the top of the Ivy League standings before the Bulldogs made two free throws with 0.5 seconds left in overtime as Harvard Men's Basketball fell to Yale, 76-75, in overtime on Saturday night at Lavietes Pavilion.
In front of a sold-out crowd at Lavietes and a national television audience on ESPNU, the Crimson (14-10, 7-3 Ivy) led for 38:30 in the contest before a back-and-forth final stretch of regulation sent the two teams to overtime tied at 66-66 where the Bulldogs (20-4, 8-2 Ivy) narrowly took the decision on their late free throws to stay in first in the Ivy standings.
Batties II led five Crimson in double figures with his 23 points, seven rebounds, and four blocks. Senior guard
Chandler Piggé (13 points, six rebounds, three assists, three steals), sophomore guard
Ben Eisendrath (13 points, three rebounds, three steals, two assists, two blocks), sophomore guard
Robert Hinton (12 points, seven rebounds), and sophomore guard
Tey Barbour (12 points, five rebounds, three assists) joined him in double figures.
Harvard Highlights
- Junior forward Thomas Batties II scored a game-high 23 points on 9-of-15 field goals and 4-of-9 3-pointers alongside a team-high seven rebounds and game-best four blocks. He broke the 20-point plateau for the third time this season and fifth time in his career, while finishing in double figures for the 16th time this year.
- Senior guard Chandler Piggé tallied 13 points, six rebounds, a game-high three assists, and a game-best three steals. He scored in double figures for the 18th time this season, while shooting 6-of-11 from the floor.
- Sophomore guard Ben Eisendrath registered 13 points, three rebounds, a game-high three steals, two assists, and two blocks, while shooting 5-of-6 from the floor and 5-of-5 from the free throw line. He posted a double-figure scoring effort for the fifth time this year.
- Sophomore guard Robert Hinton notched 12 points, a game-high seven rebounds, and two assists. He scored in double figures for the 20th time on the year, including in all 10 Ivy League games.
- Sophomore guard Tey Barbour contributed 12 points, five rebounds, a game-high three assists, and two steals. He recorded his 18th double-figure scoring game of the year.
- For the game, Harvard held advantages in points in the paint (36-22) and fastbreak points (8-0).
- The Crimson led for 38:30 in the contest.
- Harvard moved to 29-7 in overtime contests under Tommy Amaker, The Thomas G. Stemberg '71 Family Endowed Coach for Harvard Men's Basketball.
Gallery: (2-14-2026) Men's Basketball vs. Yale
How It Happened
- The Crimson opened the game with an 18-8 lead at the 13:47 mark of the first half, using a 10-2 run, including a 3-point play from Eisendrath and 3-pointer from Piggé to gain the double-digit advantage.
- After Yale pulled within 25-21 with 6:55 to go in the first half, Harvard scored seven straight points to move ahead 32-21 with 4:29 left until the break. Batties II capped the run with a 3-pointer.
- Harvard remained ahead 34-30 at the break.
- A 3-pointer from Barbour kept Harvard up 41-35 with 16:55 left in regulation, and a jumper from Batties II allowed the Crimson to maintain a 45-42 edge at the 13:49 mark before Yale took a 50-49 lead with 9:06 on the clock.
- A layup from Batties II before an electrifying dunk from Hinton pushed the hosts back in front, 53-50, with 7:30 to go in regulation.
- After the Bulldogs went back ahead 58-57, Batties II converted a 4-point play following a made triple to give Harvard a 61-58 advantage with 4:34 left.
- Inside of the final four minutes of regulation, a layup from Piggé and a 3-pointer from Batties II each gave Harvard back a lead at the 3:09 and 1:59 marks respectively before a pair of free throws from Yale's Isaac Celiscar with 1:33 left tied the score at 66-66 heading to overtime.
- In overtime, the two teams each traded three baskets before a 3-point play from Barbour turned a 74-72 deficit into a 75-74 advantage with 2:07 to play in the bonus session.
- Following a scoreless stretch, Celiscar made two free throws with 0.5 seconds remaining to take the decision.
Postgame Quotes
- "Proud of our guys. I thought we fought and did everything we could. They did the same. It's one of those games where in all honesty it's hard for any team to lose just like it was down there in New Haven in the previous game. Both teams were fighting and clawing. They made the necessary free throws to win it." – Tommy Amaker, The Thomas G. Stemberg '71 Family Endowed Coach for Harvard Men's Basketball
Next Up
Harvard opens a three-game road swing at Cornell on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 2:00 p.m. (ESPN+).
