Down 30-21 at the half, the Big Green needed a boost, and the Hanover crowd obliged. With an energized Leede Arena behind them, the men in green embarked on a 13-7 run, pulling within three after a Michael Giovacchini '08 layup.
"During that run the crowd really got behind us," Cal Arnold '06 said. "[It] definitely gave us confidence that we could win the game."
The Crimson, however, had other plans. After weathering the Dartmouth storm, Harvard scored seven unanswered points, stretching its lead to 10.
Arnold tried to lead Dartmouth on another mini-spurt, but the intensity that made him so dangerous also landed him in foul trouble.
"It was tough because I felt that I was playing fairly well and that we had some momentum going our way," Arnold said. "At the same time I had confidence that our other big men could play well during that time."
With its veteran forward on the bench, Harvard's Matt Stehle and Brian Cusworth manhandled the Big Green front court. A combined 13'8" all, the Crimson's big men totaled 23 points, 28 rebounds and 10 assists together.
The Big Green men just weren't big enough, and that ultimately decided the game.
Thanks to in large part to its effort, Dartmouth shot 9-for-13 from the field and took an early 16-13 lead.
But after the strong start, the Big Green's shots just didn't fall.
Leon Pattman '07 paced the Big Green with 11 points. Mike Lang '06 helped out with 10 points and Paul Bode '07 matched his career high with 10 rebounds. Nine Dartmouth players scored.
Despite the reserve of talent on the bench, Dartmouth was out-rebounded 20-12 in the first half and committed 11 turnovers to Harvard's nine. The Crimson capitalized and took the halftime lead.
Dartmouth also struggled from deep; they were unable to record a three pointer until Lang's effort with 2:34 left to go in the first half.
Big Green basketball faces a tough five-game road trip in the next weeks.
Ending its non-conference schedule, the men in green will first face the University of New Hampshire Wildcats on Monday. They will then turn their attention to Brown, Yale, Cornell and Columbia, before returning home to Leede Arena on Feb. 10 to challenge the University of Pennsylvania.
Despite a rocky start to the Ivy League season, Dartmouth still has a chance to make up for its two early conference losses with a successful road trip. Tough wins on the road can show grit and playing ability for a young basketball team with a lot to prove.
