Lin, who had a team-high 19 points and nine assists, had plenty of help in regulation and overtime. Sophomore guard Oliver McNally had 17 points, and most importantly, the Crimson frontcourt came up big.

“[Senior] Pat [Magnarelli] and [sophomore] Keith [Wright], those two guys in particular, were the difference for us,” Harvard coach Tommy Amaker said at the time.

Wright and Magnarelli combined for 24 points and 14 rebounds, making several key plays down the stretch.

The grueling win gained even more significance as the season continued for both squads.

“That was a big game for us,” Lin said. “Just the way we won it, it built a lot of team chemistry and a lot of confidence in our team, and I think that helped us in terms of pulling out close games...It was just a big thing for our team that early on.”

The Crimson would build on that momentum over the next two months, setting a school record in non-conference wins with 11, and William & Mary would have a noteworthy season of its own.

The Tribe was the CAA tournament runner-up and won 10 road games—including victories at Maryland and Wake Forest—to put together a résumé impressive enough to gain it a berth in the NIT, where it fell in the first round to eventual runner-up North Carolina, 80-72.

But for one day in November, William & Mary was in the news for the wrong reason.

It could not come up with a stop when it needed it the most, setting up a most memorable ending that began a historic season for Harvard basketball.

—Staff writer Dennis J. Zheng can be reached at dzheng12@college.harvard.edu.