The speedy Chambers pushed the ball up the court from the opening whistle, enforcing his pace into the game and challenging Bryant’s guards to stay with him.
Chambers finished the night with only a single turnover, which allowed him to continue to run the break without worrying about wasting possessions. Similarly, Saunders only turned the ball over once, following a tough loss against Boston College where the reigning Ivy League Player of the Year had seven turnovers.
IN-AND-OUT
For the first seven minutes of Tuesday’s contest, Harvard struggled to score, as it pounded the ball inside to Edosomwan. Nonetheless, the constant dishing inside did pay early dividends.
After struggling to get off the block early at the Chace Athletic Center, Chambers found sophomore sharpshooter Corbin Miller in the corner, who swiftly knocked down a rhythm jumper from beyond the arc. The three sparked a much needed 9-0 run for Harvard, igniting the offense and helping spread the Bulldogs defense.
“We always try to play inside-out,” Amaker said. “We are a little on egg shells with our post guys. As the game went on, and they had some more success, I thought they became a little bit more confident."
While Harvard would only add two more buckets from three-point range, the post presence of Moundou-Missi and Edosomwan created open jump shots for both Miller and Chambers. As a result, the Crimson may have found its identity just in time before heading back into conference play against Dartmouth Saturday.
In recent years, sharpshooter Laurent Rivard ‘14, Harvard’s all-time leading three-point shooter, would stretch defenses by creating lanes for both Saunders and Chambers to attack the basket. This season, the absence of Rivard has caused those lanes to become much tighter, as wing players are able to help off the ball and clog up the lane.
As a result, the ability of Moundou-Missi and Edosomwan to assert themselves provided a window into a different offensive attack that could prove vital for Harvard in the Ancient Eight. Though Harvard will certainly have to shoot a higher percentage from beyond the arc to be successful in Ivy League play, the Crimson will exercise a similar interior height advantage, which should leave Miller and Chambers open to knock down jump shots.
—Staff writer Andrew Farber can be reached at andrew.farber@thecrimson.com.