Jim Goffredo, who tallied an Ivy League high 33 points, led the Crimson's offensive attack. However, two career-high nights were also in the making for Dartmouth's Alex Barnett '09, who scored 13 points, and Michael Giovacchini '08, who matched his career high of 19 points.
Harvard, which has the second and third leading scorers in the Ivy League -- Matt Stehle, 13.5 points per game, and Goffredo, 13.8 points per game -- came out strong with a quick 10-0 start.
Dartmouth immediately cut that lead back with its own 13-5 run, highlighted by Giovacchini's two threes. But despite the offensive outburst, foul trouble plagued the Big Green for the first 10 minutes of the half, and the Crimson capitalized, extending its lead with eight unanswered points. By the break, Dartmouth was down by 11, 38-27.
The College's half time adjustments did little to stop the rolling Crimson. Though Giovacchini poured in 13 second-half points, by the 12:21 mark, Harvard held a 50-34 lead and never looked back.
It was Goffredo and Stehle who made the difference for the Crimson. Goffredo's deadly accuracy enabled him to drop a career-high seven three-pointers, go perfect from the line and hit 11 of 17 from the floor overall. Stehle complimented Goffredo perfectly with a near triple double, notching 14 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
However, members of Dartmouth's roster were no slouches in statistical categories, either. Giovacchini shot 80 percent for the afternoon, including a 3-for-5 performance from behind the arc. Barnett, too, was extremely accurate, scoring deep on three out of four attempts.
But on this night, the Green could not match up with Harvard's frontcourt. Paced by Stehle, the conference's leading loose-ball jockey, the Crimson ruled the boards, pulling down 41 to Dartmouth's 27.
On the defensive side of the ball, a good indicator of the team's play, Dartmouth did little to stop Harvard, which shot 45 percent from the field.
Despite dominating the all-time series against Harvard with 91 wins to the Crimson's 70, more current results are a better indicator the status of this rivalry.
Harvard dominated the Big Green from 1999-2003, taking all eight games. However, in the last two years, the home team has managed to come up with the victory.
Prior to Saturday's match up, Dartmouth and Harvard played four teams in common: Colgate, Vermont, UC Davis and Boston College. In these games, the Crimson posted a 3-1 record compared to Dartmouth's 1-3 mark. Harvard's strong play this season has launched it toward the top of the polls in the Ivy League.
The Big Green faces Stony Brook on Jan. 10 at Leede Arena, followed by a rematch against Harvard three days later in Hanover. If recent history holds true, Dartmouth should be able to come away with two home victories.
