"I have to give credit to Holy Cross for their half-court defense," Sullivan said. "We were out of sync tonight, and challenged by the size matchups."
In the final estimation, Harvard kept it close the entire way, and led into the final minutes before suddenly refusing to score. With a game this close and even the entire way, and no team having a lead larger than seven, the final push for Holy Cross and Head Coach Ralph Willard may have come from an intangible: the presence of Boston Celtics Head Coach and General Manager Rick Pitino.
Yes, Pitino, taking a break from his current position as Most Hated Man in Boston Sports, took in the game at Lavietes Pavilion decked out in a thousand-dollar suit and shoes to match. On hand as a friend and the former boss of Willard, Pitino may have refrained from giving advice out loud, but by merely sitting there may have boosted the confidence of the Crusader players.
In contrast, Harvard had only one such luminary on hand, and his basketball knowledge is suspect: former President Derek Bok.
Enough said.