Ivy Hoops Roundup: Harvard upset, Yale narrowly escapes

 

Harvard men's basketball was upset at home by Dartmouth on Saturday, 70-61, falling to 1-1 in Ivy play this season. 

The Crimson were the overwhelming favorites to win the conference going into the year but had struggled on offense for much of the nonconference season, highlighted by a blowout defeat at now-No. 2 Virginia. However, Harvard had easily handled Dartmouth a week earlier in Hanover and took a 43-29 lead in the early second half against the Big Green on Saturday.

But the wheels came out as the Crimson committed 18 turnovers, including 11 by their starting backcourt, and had their 11-game winning streak vs. Dartmouth snapped. Big Green junior guard Alex Mitola scored 12 points, 10 on free throws, in the final 4:09 of the game, sealing the upset win and moving Dartmouth to 1-1 in the Ancient Eight.

Meanwhile, in New Haven, Yale narrowly avoided an upset of its own, beating Brown, 69-65, on a late jumper by guard Javier Duren (Video of the play below).

For the moment, the Bulldogs take the Ivy League lead with a 2-0 record while Brown falls to 0-2. 

Columbia had the chance to tie Yale atop the Ancient Eight but the Lions couldn't pull off a second straight win over Cornell, losing at home as both teams are now 1-1 in Ivy play.

Penn and Princeton play nonconference games this weekend against St. Joseph's and Division III Rowan, respectively, before resuming Ivy play next week against Harvard and Dartmouth.

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