Thrilling Comeback: Dartmouth’s Late Surge Sinks Harvard Men’s Basketball in Key Road Clash

The Harvard men’s basketball team faced Dartmouth on Saturday, hoping to improve their position in the Ivy League playoff race. Unfortunately, a late surge from Dartmouth led to a disappointing 76-56 loss for the Crimson.

Harvard entered the game in sixth place, needing a win to catch up to Dartmouth, currently in fourth. This loss means Harvard still has work to do to secure a spot in Ivy Madness.

Last weekend, Harvard split their games, triumphing over Columbia 90-82 but struggling in the second half against Cornell, which ended in a 75-60 defeat. Dartmouth started strong, taking an early 6-0 lead. However, Harvard quickly responded with freshman guard Robert Hinton and junior captain Chandler Piggé. The duo combined for 20 of Harvard’s first 25 points, with Hinton and Piggé averaging 13.8 and 13.9 points per game, respectively.

After scoring 31 points in the first half, the Crimson briefly took the lead with a 6-0 run. But Dartmouth responded with their own run and went into halftime ahead 33-31. The second half remained tight until Dartmouth erupted, going on a 15-2 run to lead 63-48, effectively changing the game’s momentum.

As Dartmouth piled on the points, including a remarkable buzzer-beater three-pointer from senior Cade Haskins, the Crimson struggled to keep pace. The final score reflected Dartmouth’s strong shooting performance and rebounding advantage, ending with a 40-25 margin on the boards.

Harvard did manage to protect the ball well, recording only six turnovers, compared to Dartmouth’s thirteen. However, their shooting woes continued, going just 3-of-23 from beyond the arc, while the Big Green shot 10-of-25.

Next, Harvard will focus on their upcoming games. They will return home for a rematch with Cornell on Valentine’s Day, followed by a game against Columbia. Currently, Harvard is two games behind the fourth spot in the Ivy League standings, needing to improve quickly to stay in playoff contention.

Despite the setback, Coach Tommy Amaker acknowledged Dartmouth’s strong performance and knows his team has areas to improve as they push towards the playoffs.

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