The Big Green trailed early, with the Crimson taking an 11-point lead into the half. Dartmouth struggled to score, shooting just seven for 23 from the field in the period.
Dartmouth guard Jabari Trotter '12 hit a three-pointer to start off the second half, cutting Harvard's lead to eight. The Crimson answered with an 8-0 run, however, to extend the margin to 47-30.
The Big Green made a final push midway through the second half, when Tyler Melville '14 and Trotter made eight consecutive shots. The Crimson killed off any remaining hope for a Big Green win by responding with seven quick points, effectively ending the game in Harvard's favor.
"We didn't make some shots and that put some pressure on our defense to be perfect," David Rufful '12 said. "Harvard's a really skilled team, probably one of the best we're going to see in the Ivy League."
Rufful who scored a team-high 16 points finished six-for-11 shooting from the field and registered the Big Green's first two baskets of the game, both three-pointers.
Harvard used a balanced attack to defeat the Big Green. Six Crimson players scored eight or more points, with junior forward Keith Wright scoring a team-high 16 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. He registered his League-leading sixth double-double with the effort.
The Crimson shot 48 percent in the first half. They only continued to heat up as the game wore on, shooting 59 percent after the halftime intermission.
Dartmouth tried to contain Harvard inside the paint, but it was difficult to deny the Crimson's forwards and centers while also shutting down its outside shooting, according to head coach Paul Cormier.
"You pick your poison with them," he said, referring to Harvard's deep offensive arsenal.
A major force in the League, Harvard currently leads the nation in free throw shooting, at 82 percent. Harvard hit 11 of their 14 attempts in Saturday's victory, and two Crimson players freshman guard Laurent Rivard and junior guard Oliver McNally also rank in the top five in free throw percentage, both having shot better than 95 percent this season.
Prior to Saturday's game, the Crimson was impressive in the non-conference portion of the season, notching wins over opponents from major conferences including the University of Colorado and Boston College. The Crimson's three losses all came to teams ranked in the Rating Percentage Index top 75.
While it is still very early in the conference season, Saturday's performance made it clear that the Big Green must improve to avoid a second consecutive last-place finish in the League.
Dartmouth has been struggling offensively this season, averaging just 58 points per game and shooting only 38 percent from the field, ranking as the 317th best offense in Division I.
Cormier stressed that he could not be prouder of Dartmouth's effort on the defensive end, but that it will be difficult to win games if the Big Green cannot score.
"It's very, very hard to give that kind of defensive effort day in, day out, without results on the offensive end," Cormier said. "I was proud of the kids they battled but we just don't answer enough offensively. I'm disappointed that we haven't made some steps."
Part of the problem is the lack of a viable offensive inside threat. The Big Green typically starts a three-guard lineup, with Rufful at forward and captain Clive Weeden '11 at center. While Weeden and his backup, Matt LaBove '13, are capable defenders, the pair have combined for less than eight points per game on the offensive end.
At 6'4", Rufful is undersized as a forward, making it all the more difficult to post up larger opponents. The loss of captain Ronnie Dixon '11 who led the Big Green in scoring last season to a broken hand has not helped matters.
"We are better as a sum of our parts than individuals and [Dixon is] an important part of that sum," Cormier said. "We don't have the depth, when we look down at the bench, we don't have a lot of experience. Ronnie can shoot, he can handle, he's used to the Ivy League. But in sports, there are injuries, and you can't dwell on that."
Dartmouth men's basketball has the week off before heading on the road next Monday to face Colgate University. Ivy League play resumes for the Big Green with a rematch against Harvard in Cambridge on Jan. 22.
