A Smith three and eight Gaston points sparked an 11-0 run that put Fordham up, 44-34, with 12:19 to go.

“In zones, you’re going to get open shots, and we didn’t hit them,” McNally said. “We got a lot of shots and we didn’t hit anything. And we threw the ball away and that was pretty much it. …  You’ve got to give a lot of credit to Fordham; they played hard, they’re tough kids, but we’ve got to do a lot better.”

Curry hit a long ball to cut the deficit to seven, and Harvard responded with a run of its own to get within 46-43 on a McNally trey. But Smith responded with another big three, and the Crimson was never able to get closer than the 7-1 run that placed it in a 50-50 tie. The Rams pulled away and ended the game with a celebration fit for a national title, throwing the ball in the air and mobbing each other near midcourt.

“It’s a good feeling,” said Smith, who finished with a game-high 22. “History was made.”

“I’m happy,” Gaston added. “It’s a great win for the program. … I’ve never been a part of something like this.”

Harvard shot just 36 percent from the field and just 50 percent from the free-throw line on the night—a far cry from its 23-point victory over Fordham at Lavietes Pavilion last season, when it was 15-of-27 (including 8-of-14 from Webster and Rivard) from long distance.

“Basketball’s a funny game and a funny sport,” Amaker said. “Now we have to go back to work and see if we can get better this weekend.”