No. 12 Harvard hangs on to upend No. 5 Cincinnati
Mick Cronin understood something was off. Within the initial min of the video game, the Cincinnati teacher was currently making substitutions trying to obtain the Bearcats alarm.
By the time Cincinnati started playing defense the means Cronin required, with the aggressiveness that caused a share of the American Athletic Conference regular-season title, the Bearcats could possibly not chase down upstart Harvard.
"Defensively we were far from our best in the first one-half. That was the difference in the video game," Cronin shared. "It had us playing from behind all evening.".
Siyani Chambers racked up 11 factors, featuring 5 straight in the last 2 minutes, and 12th-seeded Harvard won its 2nd NCAA tournament game in record, distressing Cincinnati 61-57 on Thursday.
Wesley Saunders led the Crimson (27-4) with 12 factors as Harvard confirmed last year's upset of New Mexico as a 14 seed was no fluke. The Crimson ended up being the initial Ivy Organization school with NCAA tournament wins in consecutive years because Princeton in 1983-84. They will play either Michigan State or Delaware in the third round.
Harvard never trailed after the opening minutes. They played with self-confidence and scrap versus the fifth-seeded Bearcats. They acquired 2nd and 3rd possibilities at their own misses. They strewed the court hunting for loosened balls.
Everything implied another upset for the Crimson, even if the trainers entailed really did not see it this way.
"In my mind, today's video game was anything however an upset," Cronin mentioned. "They have actually acquired a wonderful team. Challenging draw for us. In my viewpoint, they're one of the very best teams we played all year.".
Sean Kilpatrick led Cincinnati (27-7) with 18 points, but the Bearcats failed to gain a competition game for the 2nd straight year. Kilpatrick, one of the leading scorers in the nation, saw Harvard run a flurry of different defenders in his instructions. He really did not score for the initial 10 minutes then was simply able to obtain off 4 tries in the 2nd half.
"They played respectable protection and we were missing opportunities," Kirkpatrick stated. "That was truly it.".
There was a factor Harvard was a prominent upset pick. Also President Barack Obama had the Crimson getting the Bearcats.
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That factor: defense and equilibrium. All five starters balanced in double figures for the season and that equilibrium was needed versus Cincinnati's aggressive protection. Laurent Rivard, the Crimson's 3-point expert, doned with 11 points, while Steve Moundou-Missi and Brandyn Curry both racked up 9.
Harvard enhanced to 15-0 this period when holding its challenger to 60 factors or less. They got in the tournament with the 13th-best rating defense in the nation. That protection aided get rid of an unsteady performance at the charity line where Harvard was 17 of 28.
"We constantly find means to obtain around that," Rivard shared. "We had to make various other plays because we were not making our free throws.".
Cincinnati had its opportunities. Justin Jackson doned with 13 factors and 11 rebounds, yet the Bearcats shot just 37 percent from the area and missed out on a variety of shots in close.
"I missed a bunch of chances around the rim," Jackson said. "I generally try not to do that going one-handed flipping the ball. I can not actually comment on that, just bad on my component and I was not completing around the rim.".
Harvard endured the very early second-half push from the Bearcats that was mainly caused by Cincinnati's trapping press protection. Jackson's dunk while being fouled and succeeding free throw pulled Cincinnati within 42-39 and Titus Rubles' driving layup later on cut the margin to 45-43.
The Crimson then required turnovers on 3 straight properties. Saunders flipped in a driving finger roll to push the lead to five. As Harvard visited the bench for a timeout, Chambers grinned and teacher Tommy Amaker pumped his hands in approval.
Harvard was not going to be rejected another minute. They acquired 2nd and third opportunities at their own misses out on. They strewed the floor scrounging for loosened balls.
Cincinnati went more than 5 minutes without rating.
Yet the Bearcats fought back and reduce the cause one prior to Chambers stepped up. He attacked a pullup 17-footer with 1:57 left for a 56-53 lead. Kyle Casey then attracted an offending nasty against Kilpatrick with 1:33 left.
Chambers attacked three free throws in the final minute and Saunders closed it striking 2 additional with 11 seconds left, triggering the event.
"They obtained genuine players. They acquired higher significant gamers," Cronin said. "They could bet any person.".
