But this time, Yale had no answer.

The Crimson scored two more buckets to push its lead to five with 2:08 to play. After a Bulldog layup, Harvard junior center Graham Beatty hit one of his two free throws to keep the Crimson ahead by two possessions.

The chants began to rise from the crowd. The sense that something special was about to happen pervaded the building.

But Draughan would have none of it. The Yale guard sliced to the basket and finished an easy layup to draw the Bulldogs to within two, 73-71, with exactly one minute to go.

Harvard remained calm on the ensuing possession, intent to play keep away until the shot clock had been sufficiently consumed. With about 10 seconds left—and 35 ticks remaining in the game—junior captain Jason Norman took his defender to the hoop. His layup bounced off the backboard and rolled off the front iron, giving Yale one final chance.

Draughan quickly brought the ball up the court for the Bulldogs. He drove to his right and then cut towards the basket, but was immediately met by sophomore guard Michael Beal. Draughan attempted to put a shot up, but Beal ripped the ball out of his hands. He dribbled to the corner, where he was fouled by Yale’s Paul Vitelli.

In a final dramatic moment that matched the intensity with which this game was fought, Jones leapt out of his seat on the Bulldog bench, ran out on to the court to protest the non-call and was hit with a technical foul, effectively clinching the game for Harvard.

As Rogus strolled down to the other end of the court to take his free throws, he raised his hand to the crowd. The Lavietes faithful roared back and the electricity that had left the building along with the five seniors last season had finally returned. Rogus nailed his two free throws and Beal hit his two as well, as the Crimson iced the 78-71 win.

And as the crowd filed out of Lavietes Pavilion, one man remained in the stands, with a look that said it all.

—Staff writer Michael R. James can be reached at mrjames@fas.harvard.edu.