The Crimson faced perhaps its biggest threat coming out of halftime when New Mexico opened the period on a 6-0 run to go up by two, 33-31—its first lead of the contest.

That advantage would only last for 12 seconds, as Harvard once again answered on the following possession with Webster drilling a deep three-pointer from the right wing.

The Lobos took back the lead with 7:53 to go off a Jamal Fenton three pointer, but once again the Crimson had an answer.

After a lengthy possession, Rivard was fouled with the shot clock winding down, and the junior proceeded to hit two free throws to even the score.

With 6:16 to play, Rivard nailed a corner triple off a pass from Chambers to give the Crimson the lead for good. Harvard went up by eight with 2:17 to play and its lead never dipped below four the rest of the way.

“I thought we played a really good 40 minutes,” Amaker said. “I thought the composure that our kids displayed was terrific.”

It was a fitting bookend to a season that opened with disappointment. In its Division I opener, Harvard fell to UMass at the buzzer after leading by five with 1:21 remaining. Nearly two months later at Saint Mary’s, the Crimson fell by one after leading by 10 with 3:56 to go.

But on Thursday, Harvard closed out its talented non-conference opponent.

“I think every time we learn from what we did wrong,” Rivard said. “Now we’re at the end of the season, and we had time to correct that, and we showed more toughness that we did during the season to close out this game.”

—Staff writer Martin A. Kessler can be reached at martin.kessler@college.harvard.edu.