After 20 minutes of sporadic defense, Harvard went into halftime trailing Lehigh, 35-34. In the second half, the Crimson switched defensive strategy from man to zone coverage as well as throwing in more full-court presses. The change paid off and Harvard held Lehigh to four points for the first 11 minutes of the second half.

"The change in the game's momentum was generated by our defense," said Harvard Coach Frank Sullivan. "Our press and our zone propelled us to the win."

The Crimson defensive effort was spearheaded by the record-breaking performance of sophomore guard Patrick Harvey. Harvey set the single-game record with eight steals, breaking the previous mark of seven held by Mike Scott '98.

"I'm not really thought of as a defensive specialist, but it felt good to contribute in other ways out there," Harvey said.

As a team, Harvard had 18 steals and forced 26 Lehigh turnovers. The stingy field goal defense, which held Lehigh to 19 percent shooting in the second half, improved the Crimson's record to 45-3 over the last five seasons when holding an opponent to below 40 percent shooting from the field.

The Crimson effectively put the game away in those first few minutes of the second half when Harvard went on a 19-0 run, sparked both by hustle on defense as well as accurate shooting.

Sophomore point guard Elliott Prasse-Freeman put the Crimson up for good with a free throw that made it 39-38 with 16:12 remaining to play in the game. Prasse-Freeman, who finished with 12 points and six assists, then followed his free throw with a lay-up and a three-pointer to begin Harvard's avalanche of unanswered points in the second half.