“We weren’t thought of as being a contender for this,” Amaker said. “I’m really proud of our guys for believing that we’re still Harvard. We talked about how we may not have what we had at the beginning of the year, but we have enough.”

Just one week ago, it looked like the Crimson was out of title contention. After being swept on the road by Princeton and Penn, Harvard no longer controlled its own destiny and instead had to hope that Princeton would drop one of its next three contests to force a playoff.

But this weekend Amaker said the team focused on closing out its own season regardless of what the Tigers did.

“We talked about finishing out the right way at home how we want to be remembered,” Amaker said.

RECORD TIME

As Harvard battled to hold off Cornell, a share at the title was not the only thing co-captains Laurent Rivard and Christian Webster were fighting for.

The junior and senior both closed in on records of their own in the win. With seven points, Webster—the winningest player in Harvard history—three points away from 1,000 career points. Rivard, who went four for eight from beyond the arc, tied the all–time record for three pointers in a single season with 74.

Both guards will have the opportunity to complete the season on a personal high-note provided that Webster scores three more points and Rivard hits at least one more three at the NCAA tournament.

Regardless of their personal achievements, the co-captains prioritized the team’s success above their own.

“We worked hard all week like we worked hard all season and we had to take care of our business,” Rivard said.

—Staff writer Hope Schwartz can be reached at hscwhartz@college.harvard.edu. Follow her on Twitter @HopeSchwartz16.