FEW GIVEAWAYS
The Princeton-Penn weekend was the first time this season Harvard went two consecutive games without tallying double-digit turnover marks.
Moreover, the six turnovers Saturday afternoon was the lowest since last season’s finale against Yale.
The Crimson’s slow and methodical pace offensively led to easier opportunities at the basket, particularly with the team continuously feeding Lewis on the interior and flowing outward from him. Noticeably improving in his overall passing composure and IQ, Lewis logged just one turnover Saturday.
“I give it all to my teammates who were feeding me, trusting in me to keep going at it,” Lewis said. “It also helps when I have great perimeter shooters to pass it out to so it makes it hard for those who need to double-down.”
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Quakers coach Steve Donahue surprisingly avoided double-teaming Lewis during the game, instead keeping defenders closer to the Harvard wings. Despite shooting just 5-of-15 from deep Saturday, the Crimson backcourt attacked the rim at a much greater rate than Penn. Bassey and Towns each converted and-ones of their own as Harvard took 21 free throws in the contest, compared to just nine from the Quakers.
“We like to play inside-out,” Amaker said. “This doesn’t just mean a post player, but get the ball to the paint and driving it, you can drive it in and they kick it out.”
With sophomore point guard Bryce Aiken still sidelined, a positive flow from the Harvard offense from both the inside and outside is certainly an encouraging sign for the Crimson.