After almost four weeks of nonconference play, Harvard men’s basketball leads the Ivy League with an overall record of 3-1, thanks to victories against Holy Cross and Army this past week.
Last Tuesday, the Crimson defeated Holy Cross, 69-59, despite only shooting 33.3 percent from the field and allowing the Crusaders to shoot 38.1 percent. Junior guard Jeremy Lin, however, was 9-15 from the field with a game-high 30 points. Lin also had nine rebounds, three assists, and four steals. His performance in this game and Harvard’s victory over Army earned him Ivy League Player of the Week honors.
The Crimson again shot poorer than its opponents in its game against Army, allowing Army to shoot 43.1 percent while only shooting 38.3 percent itself. However, the Crimson was still able to defeat the Black Knights, 66-54. Lin again led both teams in scoring with 24 points. He was helped by the impressive rebounding skills of freshman forward and Ivy League Rookie of the Week Keith Wright, who averaged 12.5 rebounds in Harvard’s two games last week.
Cornell trails Harvard with the second-best record in the Ivy League, standing at 4-3. The Big Red went 2-1 in its three games last week.
Cornell’s first victory of the week came in a 78-53 win over Loyola University Chicago. Not only did the Big Red out-shoot the Ramblers, 60.0 percent to 36.8 percent, but it also out-rebounded them, 41-19.
In its next game, a 67-54 victory over Eastern Michigan University, Cornell continued its excellent shooting with 51.8 percent. However, the Big Red was only 18-55 from the field in its 72-57 loss to Indiana University on Sunday. Junior forward Ryan Wittman and senior center Jeff Foote were the only Cornell players in double digits. Wittman had a game-high 28 points while Foote added 13. Both players scored in double figures for all three of the Big Red’s games last week.
Brown (3-3) was able to improve to .500 with back-to-back wins this week. The Bears defeated Army, 80-73, last Wednesday in their first game of the week. Sophomore forward Peter Sullivan had a game-high and career-high 26 points, while the Bears as a whole shot 54.2 percent from the field and 50 percent from behind the arc.
Sullivan again led his team in scoring with 20 points in Brown’s 53-51 victory over Eastern Michigan. The Bears did not shoot nearly as well in this game though, shooting 35 percent from the field 26.3 percent from behind the three-point line.
Princeton (2-2) is the only other Ivy with a .500 record after its 73-61 win over Fordham last Wednesday. The Tigers’ victory in their only game last week gave them back-to-back road wins for the first time in two years. Junior forward Nick Lake led the Tigers with 14 points.
Overall, Princeton had an excellent offensive game as the Tigers were 54.3 percent from the field, 56.3 percent from behind the arc, and 77.8 percent from the foul line. The Tigers also impressed on the defensive end, allowing Fordham to shoot only 37.1 percent and out-rebounding the Rams 39-28.
Columbia is currently fifth in the league with a record of 2-4 after losing both of its games this past week.
The Lions’ first loss of the week came against Albany last Tuesday, 66-49. Poor shooting and rebounding plagued them in this loss to the Great Danes. Columbia was only 15-46 from the field and pulled down only 26 rebounds to Albany’s 42. Freshman guard Noruwa Agho led the Light Blue with eight points.
While the Lions improved in both shooting and rebounding in Saturday’s game against Stony Brook, it was not enough as they lost, 62-60. Columbia was led by junior guard Patrick Foley, who had a game-high 15 points.
The Lions’ next game is scheduled for Wednesday at 7 p.m. against Wagner.
Penn is one of three teams tied for last with a 1-4 record after also suffering back-to-back losses this past week.
Its first defeat came at the hands of Penn State on Tuesday, 85-73. The Quakers were led by sophomore forward Jack Eggleston, who had 17 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks.
Penn was unable to turn things around against Albany on Saturday, losing 73-63. This time sophomore guard Tyler Bernardini led the team with 19 points. However, the Quakers were out-shot by the Great Danes, 50 percent to 36.7 percent.
Yale is also 1-4 after splitting its two games this past week. The Bulldogs defeated Oregon State, 53-52, last Monday, earning them their first victory of the season. Senior guard Travis Pinick led Yale in both scoring (12) and rebounding (6). Pinick also had three steals.
The Bulldogs were unable to keep rolling against Sacred Heart on Sunday, losing 63-57, despite out-shooting the Pioneers, 39.6 percent to 36.7 percent.
Dartmouth also won its first game of the season this week, defeating Furman University, 68-63. Senior forward Alex Barnett led the Big Green with 24 points and tied with freshman forward Herve Kouna for the team-high in rebounds with six.
Dartmouth was unable to use this momentum to defeat its next opponent, Lehigh, losing to the Hawks 73-60.
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