Ain't no stopping 'em now. They're on the move.
The Harvard men's basketball team put together its first winning streak of the season last night at Briggs Cage, downing Brown (9-8 overall, 3-2 Ivy), 75-71.
The victory was the Crimson's second in a row, following Wednesday's 68-65 defeat of Hartford. The triumph raises Harvard's record to 3-14 (2-3 Ivy).
"This team has no quitters," senior forward Mike Minor said. "We just don't give up."
The Crimson held a comfortable lead, 68-61, with 1:18 left to play, following two free throws by Captain Ron Mitchell. The Bears then reeled off three points to close the gap to 68-64.
The two teams traded baskets, leaving Harvard still up by four, 70-66, with :39 left in the contest. Mitchell canned two more free throws to put the Crimson up by six.
Brown guard Rick Lloyd drained a three-pointer to keep the Bears hopes alive, 72-69, at :29. A free throw by guard Jared Leake extended Harvard's lead to 73-69, with a scant :21 to go.
Guard Jon Drezner nailed a fallaway jumper with :10 left to pull Brown to within two, 73-71. Leake nailed the coffin shut with two free throws, assuring a Harvard victory.
"We were more relaxed on offense," Coach Frank Sullivan said. "That created more offense."
Condakes With 19
Forward Peter Condakes led Harvard with 19 points on five-for-nine shooting. Leake put in a fine performance, tallying 13 while grabbing eight rebounds.
"We knew we were going to score because they were so much smaller," Condakes said.
Mitchell had a stellar game, knocking down 16 points and grabbing nine boards. Mitchell's game exploded in the second half, as he scored 15 in the last 20 minutes.
Guard Tyler Rullman also performed admirably, draining 13 to go with six rebounds.
Llopis Makes Debut
Junior center Arturo Llopis played in his first game, following the reinstatement of his eligibility by the NCAA. Llopis dumped in four points and crashed the glass for four rebounds in his debut.
"This game is a step in the right direction," Leake said. "We got the job done in crunch time."
Harvard's defense kept the game close all along. The Crimson held the Bears to a paltry 42 percent shooting from the field.
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