The men’s and women’s basketball teams both lost to Harvard University this weekend, getting swept in the season series against the Crimson. The Big Green men (7-9, 0-2 Ivy), missing center and leading scorer Gabas Maldunas ’15 with an ACL injury, were scorched 80-50 at Leede Arena while the women (3-13, 0-2 Ivy) fell 77-59 in Cambridge, Mass.
The Harvard men’s team (15-3, 2-0 Ivy) quickly made its presence known to a full Dartmouth crowd. The game was close until the 10:43 mark of the first half, when Harvard senior Brandyn Curry decided to take the game into his own hands. Curry fought through two Dartmouth defenders for a tough scoop shot in the lane, then stole the inbound pass and floated up another ball off glass and in, this time with three defenders covering him.
Curry continued to dazzle throughout the first half, splashing an open three on the next play for his seventh straight point. Almost in the blink of an eye, the score had shifted from a respectable 7-6 to 21-6, the Crimson clearly in the driver’s seat.
Dartmouth attempted to stage a comeback, going on a 9-0 run fueled by Malik Gill ’16 and Connor Boehm ’16. Gill splashed a three at the 7:29 mark, and Boehm followed with a tough shot in the paint, elevating through three Crimson defenders for the basket.
After the run, things quickly took a turn for the worse, as Harvard found its rhythm on both ends of the floor. Sophomore Siyani Chambers had two quick steals, both converted into points in transition, and Gill started to look tired, throwing the ball right to a Crimson player on the baseline for yet another turnover. By the end of the first period, the momentum had clearly swung away from Dartmouth as Harvard took a 17-point lead going into the break.
If Tommy Amaker’s squad looked dominant in the first half, nothing could have prepared the crowd for the performance that Harvard would put on in the final portion of the game. In the second half, the visitors shot a breathtaking 78.9 percent from the field and held Gill to 2-of-9 shooting in a game that quickly fell out of reach for the Big Green.
The contest’s imbalance was most obvious in a string of plays that started midway through the second half. Harvard reeled off four dunks in five possessions including an impressive alley-oop that drained the Big Green of its remaining momentum. The play even elicited a few nervous cheers from the home crowd.
Men’s head coach Paul Cormier said the team sorely missed its 6-foot-9-inch Maldunas, who is out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL, especially for his offensive threat. Cormier commented that in past games, Maldunas’ presence drew double-teams, which freed up shooters elsewhere.
“He was the one person on our team that demanded an adjustment,” he said. “It’s hard to play him one-on-one.”
Maldunas said that he is working with replacement Cole Harrison ’17, returning from a long case of mononucleosis, to develop his offensive polish and comfort with Cormier’s rotations.
The women’s squad also struggled against the Crimson, hobbled by early foul trouble and its opponent’s excellent shooting.
Forward Lakin Roland ’16 and guard Milica Toskovic ’15 both picked up two fouls in the first 13 minutes of the first half, which put them on the bench. Despite her limited 21 minutes, Roland scored 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field, with 13 of her 16 coming in the second half.
Fanni Szabo ’17, usually the team’s first option, had a relatively quiet game, putting up 10 points in 27 minutes.
At the 12:00 mark of the first period the was game knotted at 15, when Harvard exploded on a 29-9 run to go up 44-24 heading into halftime.
Harvard kept the distance, holding a comfortable 33-point lead at the 9:50 mark of the second half.
Head coach Belle Koclanes said she thought Dartmouth gave up far too many points in the paint in its last meeting with Harvard. The team’s defensive plan Sunday, she said, was to collapse into the lane and go under screens, blocking penetration but leaving the perimeter less protected.
The Big Green paid a steep price for its strategy. The Crimson did heavy damage from outside, sinking 10 three-pointers in the game.
“With Harvard, you have to pick your poison,” Koclanes said. “They can score in the paint and out on the perimeter, which makes them a lethal team.”
Koclanes said that despite the loss, she believes her team is improving and that Big Green fans have much to look forward to as the team enters Ivy League play.
“Our offense is starting to come together, we’re more fluid, our decision-making is getting better,” she said. “If you’re a fan out there who likes offense, we should be able to put the ball in the basket for you.”
The men will host the University of Pennsylvania and Princeton University this weekend, while the women take to the road to play the same schools.
