Postgame audio - Coach Sydney Johnson, Kareem Maddox & Dan Mavraides:
Security moved the fancy black chairs with red school crests on the back away from in front of the Harvard student section in the final minute on Saturday night, then at the horn the Crimson fans raced to center court leaping up and down.
400 strong, hopping and jumping and cheering following the home team's 79-67 victory over Princeton.
The Tigers shook hands with their counterparts from Harvard, frustrated they were unable to clinch the 2010-11 Ivy League title outright and fully aware that to advance to the NCAA Tournament they would now have to win on Tuesday at the Palestra versus Penn and again on a neutral site in a third match with the Crimson.
Instead of walking away with their backs to the jubilation up the narrow staircase leading to the visiting locker room, Tiger head coach Sydney Johnson had his team remain on the bench as spectators filed out of Lavietes Pavilion past them.
There they sat in silence.
Watching Harvard. Watching their fans.
Nearly five minutes passed.
"I think it is important to understand what's at stake," Johnson said. "I think it is important to see other people celebrate. You want to be that team."
Eventually the Princeton players and staff stood as one and traipsed away from the festivities they had hoped to be a part of.
For the second straight night, Harvard shot 60% from the field. After a free-flowing first half with 18 lead changes and two more flips of the scoreboard to start the back frame, The Crimson went from down one to up seven after a 14-6 run.
"First half, second half - we couldn't get stops," Johnson said. "They were very good offensively tonight." Harvard made 12 of their 18 second half attempts and Princeton could not equal this stellar pace.
Kyle Casey scored 17 of his 24 in the first half and a one-handed right baseline dunk plus Patrick Saunders foul early in the second stanza ignited the sold out gym. Casey was one of four Harvard starters in double digits.
A night after shooting 1-12 from the floor versus Dartmouth, Princeton's Dan Mavraides matched Casey basket for basket with 18 of his own in the opening 20 minutes - including four shots from behind the arc. His second deep triple gave him an even 1,000 career points. Mavraides ended his final trip to Harvard with 25, one off his personal best set in the season opener versus Rutgers. Fellow senior Kareem Maddox supported his team's cause with 14 and Ian Hummer added 12.
When the Crimson made it to the line, the nation's second-best free throw shooting team improved upon their already expert marksmanship - hitting 27 of 30.
There would be no last second heroics or patented Laviedes Pavilion wild finish. Douglas Davis' drive down six with a minute to go resulted in an offensive foul absorbed by Laurent Rivard and Harvard made their last six free throw attempts.
"It is almost a gift to have another game to play on Tuesday," Johnson said of his team's final regular season contest versus Penn. "We wanted this one bad. We got beat by a fine team."
After a sloppy opening minute, the much-anticipated and equally-hyped game flicked momentum back and forth throughout the first half.
Basket. Response. Basket. Response.
Casey's free throw line jumper over Brendan Connolly, meet a hand off three from Connolly to Mavraides silencing the Harvard students on the right side.
Two Oliver McNally free throws, here's Connolly at the right elbow to Mavraides even further back.
Curry on the left, can I introduce you to Mavraides slashing to the tin? Mavraides scored 10 of Princeton's first 12 points.
So it went, the scoreboard flipping in either direction. A Casey jumper for 9-8 Harvard. A Hummer jump hook over Keith Wright. Wright inside for his first basket of the ballgame. 12 straight possessions, 12 straight scores split between the two teams.
Maddox to his right got a shot to bounce in for a 19-17 Princeton lead at the 13:07 mark. A drive by Curry to his left was lobbed diagonal to Casey who caught, planted and leapt for a two hand slam.
Hummer's travel in the post ended this incredible four minute stretch.
More Curry penetration and lob action to Casey was this time banked home in mid-air with his right hand. A jump stop by Christian Webster in the lane over Mavraides' guard doubled Harvard's lead.
Will Barrett found Maddox for two, but when a Davis pass looking to set up Mavraides once again on the right side was stolen by McNally ahead to the iron the Tigers trailed 25-21.
A penetrating Mavraides shoveled a feed to a reversing Hummer.
With Casey prone to foul and Princeton eager to eliminate his contributions, the Tigers attempted to post Maddox and draw a second whistle. Maddox inside was unable to either score or get fouled. A second straight time Princeton went to Maddox at Casey and a second straight time there was no call to come.
Hummer nearly had a steal of a ball that Wright lost. Eventually Maddox picked it up and went ahead to Hummer, leaving a bounce on his right to T.J. Bray up and in.Â
With Harvard leading 26-25 after a Wright free throw two things happened of different degrees of significance. Connolly fouled on a drive, his second personal - giving Connolly, Barrett and Saunders each two fouls.
Hummer stole the ball from Wright and Wright fouled him, saddling the Crimson's leading scorer with two fouls to call his own at the 6:15 mark.
Maddox around and under Rivard set Princeton back up one. Casey missed the front end of a one-and-one and the Tigers quickly went to Mavraides at the other end, fouled by Curry - his second. Two free throws made it 29-26 Tigers.
Princeton played sound defense until Rivard launched a three pointer over Hummer's close attention to tie the score.
A Mavraides outlet to Maddox was cut off by Casey and Casey scored in impressive fashion to his left while fouled by Darrow. Maddox came up with a steal the next time Harvard had the ball and Hummer pushing ahead threw a nifty diagonal feed to Mavraides setting his feet on the right side for his fourth three and a 32-32 game.
A spin by Barrett gave him space and Barrett turned to lay in a timing pattern by Maddox with 16 seconds left. With the half about to expire Rivard launched from the left wing and Hummer collided with him as the ball left his hand. The whistle blew with :01.1 showing and the 90.7% free throw shooter knocked down all of his attempts for a 37-36 Harvard lead at the break.
It was an entertaining, back and forth half that left Princeton 20 minutes and a few more defensive stops from the Ivy crown. Johnson enjoyed the half less than those in the stands, staying on the sidelines for a full minute after his players had departed to argue calls with the officials, who eventually made their way off the court on the opposite side.
The Tigers were 14-28 from the floor (50.0%) in the first half, 4-7 from three (57.1%) with all the makes by Mavraides and 4-4 on free throws. Princeton also had a 17-9 advantage on the glass.
Harvard shot 12-22 (54.5%), 2-5 outside (40.0%) and 11-13 on free throws (84.6%). Casey had 17 of his team's 37 in 16 minutes of action.
Casey's first shot of the second half was a jumper from just outside his range that sailed long. Mavraides rebounded.
Casey fell down on defense at the other end and Hummer was able to go to his left off the glass. Webster drove at Hummer for a 39-38 count and lead change number 20. Curry in transition took Harvard up three.
Mavraides was able to scoop with his right hand as Curry fell. Then Webster missed a three and Wright was called for his third personal fouling Saunders from behind on the rebound. Rivard replaced Wright and Princeton had a great chance to take control with Wright out of action.
Davis committed a backcourt violation trying to run down a loose ball before McNally connected on the right side for three.
Mavraides spun and scooped once more for a 44-42 score.
Casey got Maddox in the air with a ball fake and drove to his right from the wing, soaring in for the right-handed slam as Saunders fouled him on the arm. The Harvard bench went bonkers, rightfully so. Casey's free throw was pure.
Maddox attacked left at Casey to get two but Casey snatched those points back with a pair of free throws after Maddox fouled him on a drive.
Maddox lost the ball trying to secure a pass into the lane and Webster raced the other way, leaving a return feed behind his back to McNally. Barrett looked to have blocked the layup from behind but a foul was whistled and McNally made two more of his 10 free throws in 10 tries. For the first time Harvard was up three possessions, 51-44.
Hummer on the right baseline got a shot off as Rivard tried to slide in front, the ball bouncing home. Hummer's free throw was on target for a four point deficit.
Casey over Maddox sailed long and Mavraides got a decent look outside which Maddox ran down. Bray in the near corner by the Princeton bench fired just wide of his intended destination.
McNally got ahead and Bray fouled him hard. Two more free throws. Two more conversions.
Maddox hung in the air but his try rolled off. Princeton again played what looked like a sound defensive possession until Matt Brown stuck his only basket of the night on a high arc over a well-placed defender with the buzzer ringing.
It was at this point that it began to feel like this truly was Harvard's night.
Maddox turned Curry and drew his third personal, making one of two at the line. As Harvard moved ahead Wright set an unintentional screen to clear out Darrow that gave Curry an unimpeded path to the glass.
Wright began to get deep position in the center of the Princeton defense. A Brown entry pass made it 60-50.
Bray drove and dished right to Hummer for the finish. Curry's zip to Wright behind Maddox responded. Mavraides forced a shot on the right baseline in traffic, then Casey rose on the right side for a jumper and Harvard's largest lead.
Davis split the defense and pulled the string after losing control for a instant for his first basket. Davis did not force his shot but was rarely free for attempts against Harvard. After Casey threw a pass to McNally into the Harvard student section, Maddox circled around Casey and was able to get Casey to commit personal number four. Maddox made one of two at the line with 8:34 showing.
This was the first portion of seven straight for Princeton, three more on a triple from Mavraides via good inside/out movement from Maddox to draw within 64-58 at the 5:59 mark. When Hummer spun right in the paint and was fouled by Webster, converting one of two, the Tigers trailed by five with over five minutes to pull it out.
Curry drove to his left and Barrett's late help turned into both a three point play off the glass and Barrett's disqualifying foul. Mavraides in the right corner popped long and Curry found Wright deep to restore a 10 point Crimson lead.
The waning moments saw Mavraides come up short on a three that Darrow grabbed popping off the rim in mid-air and laid home, fouling out Casey in the process. A free throw set the stage at 73-67 with 1:35 to go.
Princeton chose not to stop the clock and Curry's wild scoop was short. Mavraides rebounded to Davis up the near sideline and Davis never slowed to the basket, Rivard positioning himself under the hoop for a charge. While Rivard was deep beneath the cylinder, Davis could have stopped and popped a short jumper prior to contact.
On February 4th Princeton was the better team at Jadwin Gym.
On March 5th Harvard was the better team at Lavietes Pavilion.
The Tigers may not have been the ones celebrating in Cambridge at the final buzzer, but they still hope to be the team that advances out of the Ivy League into the NCAAs by beating Harvard in a third meeting on a neutral floor.
Notes:
-Harvard shot 24-40 on the night (60.0%), 4-8 from three (50.0%) and 27-30 on free throws (90.0%). Curry had a double-double of 10 points and 10 assists one night after 14 dimes versus Penn.
-Wright recorded six blocks of Tiger inside attempts.
-Princeton went 26-59 (44.1%), 6-17 from deep with Mavraides accounting for five of those and 9-12 at the line (75.0%). In the second half the orange and black it 12-31 (38.7%) overall.
-The Tigers had 30 of 52 rebounds with 13 offensive boards.
-Mavraides became the 28th Tiger to exceed 1,000 points for his career. He now has 1,019 total, good for 27th all-time.
-Harvard finished the regular season a perfect 14-0 at home.
-Bob Ruxin was able to personally sell 275 tickets to Princeton fans. Add 50 more for Tiger players and staff and that's 300+ of the 2,195 in attendance. Next time you see Bob, thank him for all of his hard work like I'm doing here now.
