Harvard wasted no time showing the University of New Hampshire (UNH) who was boss Monday night.
The Crimson jumped out to a 31-12 lead just midway through the first half en route to an easy 91-58 thrashing of the visiting Wildcats at Lavietes Pavilion.
On a night when the 100-point milestone seemed within reach for much of the game, Harvard found a rare opportunity to use all 11 of its players for at least ten minutes each. All but two scored, with captain Dan Clemente and sophomore guard Patrick Harvey leading the way with 18 points apiece.
Harvey and Clemente nearly sealed the game in the first seven and half minutes, as they combined for 20 of Harvard's first 24 points. After, slashing across the lane and to the hoop for a layup in the opening minute, Harvey stepped outside the arc and knocked down a pair of three-pointers.
Clemente followed suit, mixing inside power moves, baby hooks, and three-pointers from well beyond the top of the arc on his way to surpassing FOX sports analyst James Brown '73 as the 10th all-time leading scorer in Harvard history.
Sophomore point guard Elliot Prasse-Freeman shot 3-of-5 from three-point range while distributing the ball with fluidity and deception, often faking penetration and then using a no-look, behind the back flip to set up a teammate.
The catalyst behind the Crimson's offensive output was a smothering defense that benefited from a bevy of Wildcat miscues. Junior forward Drew Gellert amassed five steals to go along with a pair of blocks, leading a Crimson unit that looked to have fresher legs and quicker hands than their opponents.
"Gellert did a good job defensively," said Harvard Coach Frank Sullivan. "We were asking ourselves, 'When are we going to put together back-to-back defensive games?' and [tonight] it was good to put two together."
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