Terriers Dominate Harvard, 86-42, In Complete Team Effort
December 9, 2003 | Men's Basketball
B. U. (3-3) set a Case Gym record for assists with 30 on 35 baskets. Individually, 29 Terrier career marks were either set or tied on the night. The 44-point margin of victory represented the most lopsided contest in the teams' 54-game series, and was the worst defeat for the Crimson since a 118-65 loss to eventual National Champion Duke on Nov. 30, 1991.
The Terriers got off to a slow start, as Harvard (0-6) led 12-7 with 13:21 remaining in the half. It was then that B. U. took control of the game, as senior guard Matt Turner (West Haven, Conn.) hit a pair of three-pointers to key a run of 16 unanswered points and junior guard Chaz Carr (Manchester, Conn.) hit on a trio of threes, all in the final 1:41, to cap the 37-5 run and give the Terriers an impressive 44-17 lead heading into the half.
The Terriers went 8-for-17 from behind the three-point line and shot 55 percent in the half, while Harvard made only 25 percent of its shots. B. U. missed seven of its first nine shots, but then made 33-of-51 (64.7 percent) the rest of the way.
The Terriers quickly extended their 27-point halftime lead to 39 in the first five minutes of the second half, as the Terriers got three more three-pointers and a dunk from senior forward Ryan Butt (Lancaster, Pa.) to go ahead by 39 points at 59-20.
B. U. emptied the bench with six minutes left, but the lead Terrier lead grew to as much as 49 points at 86-37 with two minutes to go, with all but one Terrier scoring in the game.
"That was about as good as we can play," said Terrier head coach Dennis Wolff. "We had good perimeter defense and pushed them away from the basket. The guys that guarded [Kevin] Rogus and [Michael] Beal did a good job. It's tough for Harvard when those two guys shoot 0-for-14."
Harvard's leading scorer, Kevin Rogus, who came into the game averaging nearly 18 points per contest, was held to just five points on an 0-for-8 shooting performance. Matt Stehle's eight points led the Crimson.
Four Terriers scored in double figures, led by Carr's 18 points. He went 7-for-11 from the field, including a 4-for-7 effort from behind the arc. Turner was right behind Carr with 16 points after going 6-for-11 from the field and 4-for-9 from the arc. Junior forward Rashad Bell (Queens, N. Y.) had 10 points to go with a game-high eight rebounds, and sophomore forward Kevin Gardner (Palos Verdes, Calif.) tied his career high with 10 points.
Senior reserve Daniel Daccarett (Lima, Peru) could be looked upon as the game's highest achiever, however, as he set career highs in points (six), rebounds (two), field goals made (two), assists (three), and minutes played (11). His three assists were the first three of his career.
B. U. came into the game shooting 39.9 percent from the floor, but shot 58.3 percent against Harvard. The Crimson finished at 26.4 percent. B. U.'s 11-for-25 effort from three-point land was a season best.
The Terriers have a 13-day layoff for final exams. They next host Cleveland State on Monday, Dec. 22. Game time at Case Gym is 7 p.m.
