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The Palestra, dubbed the Cathedral of College Basketball, added another instant classic to its rich history as Harvard (10-14, 5-6 Ivy) defeated Penn (7-17, 3-8 Ivy) in a thrilling 79-78 overtime duel. The win keeps the Crimson one game out of the fourth and final spot in the Ivy Madness tournament.

The contest between the 5th and 6th ranked Ivy League foes saw Harvard’s efficient offense that included five double-digit scorers matched by paint dominance from the Quakers. The Crimson — who blew a 17-point first half lead — found itself down by five points with just over a minute left in regulation.

“It was a vintage, typical, as we’ve seen through the years Ivy League contest on a Saturday night,” said Head Coach Tommy Amaker. “We’ve been in a number of these through the years. I can’t say enough about the will that both teams had here on senior night for their team. I was so impressed with the guts that our kids had to have, especially our young kids – Austin Hunt, Robert Hinton, Tey Barbour. Just amazing plays by all our guys.”

After forcing a critical turnover, Amaker smartly played the fouling game. The next sequence between the teams included eight fouls and several free throw attempts, boiling down to one last chance for Harvard to keep its season alive.

In the arena that’s seen the most NCAA basketball games, hosted the most collegiate teams, and witnessed Kobe Bryant’s penultimate high school contest, the crowd stood on its feet with just over five seconds remaining as the Crimson trailed the Quakers 68-71.

Freshman Austin Hunt heaved a one-handed inbound pass across the court as three players jumped for control of the ball past the halfcourt mark. Sophomore Thomas Batties II was able to tip the rock to senior guard Evan Nelson.

Wasting no time, Nelson sprinted to the right wing, launched an off-balance three point attempt, and said a prayer. The ball sank into the basket with 1.1 seconds remaining and Harvard’s bench erupted. Penn guard Sam Brown’s full-court subsequent full-court attempt fell short as both teams knew what was next: overtime.

“I told my teammates, if we tip it, I'd get it,” said Nelson. “You know, I just have confidence. I like the palestra. I knew if I got a look, I was gonna make it. So I'm happy he tipped it and it worked out how it did.”

Entering the overtime period, Harvard opened with possession. Batties drew a foul and nailed both shots from the charity stripe, giving the Crimson a 73-71 lead.

Following two minutes of scoreless action, the Quakers responded with two free throws of their own to tie the game at 73 points apiece. A hook shot from Nick Spinoso — who finished with a career high 24 points — swung the game back in Penn’s favor. On the ensuing possession, Hunt lost his defender with a backdoor cut, giving him an easy reverse layup to tie the game at 75.

After trading another pair of free throws, the teams stood pat at 77 with under a minute remaining. With 35 seconds left on the clock, Spinoso missed his first shot, but sank his second to make the score 78-77.

Attempting to take the lead, freshman guard Robert Hinton, who finished with a team-high 22 points, cut to the basket and fell to the floor as George Smith was called for a foul with 26 seconds left, much to the crowd’s displeasure. The freshman made both shots from the charity stripe to give the Crimson a one point 79-78 lead.

Following a timeout, the Quakers put the ball in guard Evan Roberts’ hands. Roberts missed a driving layup, but the ball deflected off of Harvard, giving Penn another opportunity to win the game. After yet another timeout, the Quakers ran a set featuring star guard Sam Brown.

Brown, standing behind the arc in the corner, flung a shot into the air, senior guard Louis Lesmond’s outstretched hands blocked the ball. Spinoso recovered the rock with just over two seconds remaining, but was unable to cash in the jumper, sealing the tense victory for the Crimson.

“That was a team win. I love the effort. Everybody played together. We didn't, we didn't quit. We competed all the way 40, 45 minutes,” said Nelson. “You know, we knew once we got into overtime, we practiced that every day, we're gonna win. So gutsy from everybody on the team. I'm proud of us.”

As the buzzer rang, the team sprinted across the court in a pompous celebration, knowing that an opportunity exists to make its Ivy League dreams still come true.

The team returns to Cambridge on Friday when it faces off against Brown in another pivotal matchup for its postseason odds. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ at 5:00 p.m.

“We're hoping to close out strong at home,” added Nelson. “We just won two, so hopefully we can keep that momentum starting on this game, and finish strong for the rest of the season.”

– Staff Writer Praveen Kumar can be reached at praveen.kumar@thecrimson.com