But the Lions' defense tightened up again, and the Crimson didn't score for the next four minutes. Five free throws by Case and a tip-in by Chris Wiedemann gave the Lions their final seven points.

While Case dominated for Columbia, Harvard's attack was spread out. Clemente finished with nineteen points on 6-of-16 shooting as he played the whole game. Long had 18, mostly on his four three's. Prasse-Freeman had another solid assist-to-turnover ratio game, with eight assists to four turnovers, including 12 points and three steals. Junior center Tim Coleman came close to a double-double, with nine points and 11 rebounds.

Unlike Saturday, the bench was almost non-existent. All five starters played at least 30 minutes, while the bench only had two points combined.

Columbia defeated Dartmouth the next night to finish tied for third in the Ivies with the Crimson. The finish gives Harvard some hope going in to next year, with the four freshmen gaining more experience and Clemente taking control as a senior. However, at least for one night, Long reminded everyone who the real savior was, the player who kept the Crimson afloat while Clemente nursed an eye injury, the senior who sometimes played with four freshmen on the court. Instead of taking the finish with satisfaction, some players looked at the season with less pleasure.

"The Ivy League finish is nice," Gellert said. "But we're disappointed with our overall record. We should have won some more games."

Looking ahead at next season, it seems improbable to believe they won't.