BOSTON — In a thrilling matchup on Friday evening, Harvard narrowly defeated Cornell 75-73, with Austin Hunt sealing the victory by making three of four free throw attempts in the closing 12 seconds. The Crimson had established a strong lead at halftime, going into the break ahead by 17 points at 47-30.
As the game progressed into the final moments, Cooper Noard’s layup with just 54 seconds left brought the Big Red to within one point, trailing 70-69. In response, Evan Nelson converted two free throws, extending the Crimson’s lead to three points. However, AK Okereke swiftly narrowed the gap again with a layup, leaving the score at 72-71 with only 13 seconds remaining.
Leading the way for Harvard (8-13, 3-5 Ivy League) was Thomas Batties II, who scored 21 points, pulled down five rebounds, and recorded three steals. Chandler Pigge contributed significantly as well, netting 13 points on 6 of 13 shooting, though he struggled from long range with no successful attempts out of three tries. He also contributed seven rebounds and three steals. Nelson added another 13 points, shooting efficiently with four field goals made out of seven attempts, including three for five from behind the arc.
On the other side, Cornell (13-8, 5-3) was powered by Noard, who tallied 22 points and grabbed six rebounds. Nazir Williams chipped in 18 points, while Okereke contributed 10 points to the cause.
Both teams are set to return to action on Saturday, with Harvard playing host to Columbia, while Cornell will head to Dartmouth for their next conference matchup.
