Michigan
3-5
Harvard
4-4
Harvard Slips Past Michigan for Upset Win
12/1/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Site: Cambridge, Mass. (Lavietes Pavilion)
Score: Harvard 62, Michigan 51
Records: U-M (3-5), Harvard (4-4)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Dec. 8 -- at #7 Duke (Durham, N.C.), 2:00 p.m., CBS TV
Boxscore | Notes & Quotes
BOSTON, Mass. -- The University of Michigan men's basketball team dropped its third straight game with a 62-51 road loss to former U-M coach Tommy Amaker's Harvard Crimson Saturday (Dec. 1) in Lavietes Pavilion. In an emotional and back-and-forth game, the Wolverines could not keep their momentum as they failed in their comeback attempt after tying the score at 51 with under four minutes remaining. The Crimson capitalized on late U-M turnovers and missed shots to close the game on an 11-0 run and capture the victory over the Maize and Blue.
Freshman Manny Harris(Detroit, Mich./Redford HS) led U-M, recording his eighth straight game scoring double figures as he posted 13 points in the loss. He added six rebounds, two assists and a steal in a career-high 37 minutes. Sophomore DeShawn Sims(Detroit, Mich./Pershing HS) and senior Ron Coleman(Romulus, Mich./Romulus HS) each chipped in 12 points apiece. In addition to their scoring, Sims tied a career-high with eight rebounds, while Coleman posted seven boards.
In a raucous Lavietes Pavilion split with Harvard and Michigan fans, the game was intense from the opening tipoff. Harvard opened the scoring two minutes into the game, as the energy from the crowd helped the defense efforts of both teams during the first four possessions. The Crimson were able to maintain a five-point advantage through the first 10 minutes of the half, as any bucket the Wolverines scored was countered by the Crimson.
Harvard extended its lead to as high as 10 in the first half, but the Wolverines rallied over the next 10 minutes cutting it back to just two points with under seven minutes to play. Following a media timeout, Harvard regrouped and took back the momentum pushing its lead back to 10 points with just 1:20 remaining in the half. With a three-pointer from Sims and another from junior Jerret Smith(Romulus, Mich./Romulus, HS) as time expired helped U-M close the half with a 6-2 run and trail by just six at the break.
Following the halftime break, Harvard maintained its edge as the Maize and Blue were held scoreless for the first three and half minutes of the half. A layup from Harris finally got the Wolverines on the board, but Harvard answered yet again with a long range triple from Drew Housman extending the Crimson's lead to a game-high 11 points.
As both team's exchanged baskets, the U-M crowd picked up its cheers as the Wolverines started a rally after a sophomore Ekpe Udoh(Edmond, Okla./Santa Fe HS) putback was followed by a Harris slicing drive. U-M went on an 11-0 run over the next three minutes to tie the score at 37 apiece and would eventually take its first lead of the game 42-40 with 10 minutes remaining in the half.
Following another media timeout, Harvard collected itself yet again and fought back, retaking the lead. The battled heated up on the floor as the two team's battled back-and-forth. After falling back by five points, Michigan eventually came back to tie the game at 51 after a Sims mid-range jumper. Once again, the Crimson answered right back down the court with a Pat Magnarelli basket to take a 53-51 lead, a lead they would not relinquish for the remainder of the game.
Miscues and missed opportunities on the offensive end haunted the Wolverines over the final three minutes as Harvard closed the game with an 11-0 run, taking the game from the Maize and Blue.
The Maize and Blue will have a week off before heading to Durham, N.C. Saturday (Dec. 8) to face the seventh-ranked Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Tipoff is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start and will tip off CBS Sports' college basketball season.
Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 263-4423
