“[Harvard coach Tommy Amaker] says that’s my shot at the free-throw line,” Chambers said. “Coach says if you get there and it’s open, go ahead and take it. So, he believed in me, I’m pretty sure my teammates believed in me, and I believed in myself, and I was able to take it, and I was blessed to make it.”

From that point on, it was all Harvard, and two minutes later, the Crimson advanced to the third round of the Big Dance for the second consecutive year. Amidst “I Believe” chants from its fan section, Harvard pulled off the upset, this time defeating fifth-seeded Cincinnati, 61-57.

“[H]aving [won a postseason game] last year, we know the amazing feelings you get from having an upset type of victory in this great tournament,” Amaker said. “I thought [those plays] were key moments offensively for us.”

It was several defensive plays, however, that closed out the matchup. With 1:33 to go, a loose Bearcat ball was snatched up by Kilpatrick, and the senior took several dribbles towards the basket before making contact with Crimson senior forward Kyle Casey. Casey flew backwards as the whistle blew, and the referee’s arm signaled that it was Harvard ball.

On the next Cincinnati possession, pressure defense from Saunders forced Kilpatrick to lose his dribble. Chambers picked up the loose ball and was fouled at the other end. His one converted free throw on the trip made it a two-possession game, effectively sealing the win for Harvard.

PRESS CREDENTIALS

The scouting report on Cincinnati emphasized one fact in particular: the Bearcats pressured its opponent, trapped its ball handlers, and forced them to make hasty decisions.

After Thursday’s game, Harvard could confirm those reports and almost saw its lead slip away—multiple times—as a result of the Bearcats’ press.