HARVARD’S SIYANI TAHIR CHAMBERS HAS BEEN NAMED IVY LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

According to Andrew Chesebro the Assistant Director of Athletic Communications at Harvard University: “Harvard University Siyani Chambers has been named the Ivy League Player of the Week after scoring a career-high 27 points to lead Harvard past Vermont on Saturday.

 

Chambers showed tremendous efficiency against the Catamounts, connecting on 9-of-10 attempts from the field and going a perfect 6-of-6 from beyond-the-arc. The Golden Valley, Minn., native scored 15 points after the intermission, including eight points during a 13-0 run which gave the Crimson the lead for good. Chambers added four rebounds, three assists and two steals to his stat line.

 

The unanimous choice as the Ivy League's Rookie of the Year and a first team all-conference pick last season, Chambers leads the Ancient Eight in assists (4.7) and also ranks third in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.7), fifth in steals (1.4) and is 14th in scoring (11.6). His 27 points against Vermont were the most by a member of the Crimson since current assistant coach  Christian Webster '13 scored 29 at Mercer on Nov. 20, 2010, while his 6-of-6 shooting from three also matched Webster's mark for most makes from beyond-the-arc without a miss.

 

This marks the first player of the week award of Chambers' career after having been named rookie of the week six times a year ago. Harvard has now picked up three of the last four player of the week honors from the conference with Wesley Saunders earning the accolade Dec. 2 and Dec. 9.”

 

Chambers played his prep basketball at Hopkins high school in Minnesota. Through 11 games, Chambers is averaging 11.6 ppg.

Chambers Named a Candidate for Bob Cousy Award

By Tim Williamson, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications Harvard University:

"CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Freshman Siyani Chambers of the Harvard men’s basketball team has been selected as a candidate for the 2013 Bob Cousy Award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., announced today.

The annual honor, named for Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic Bob Cousy, recognizes the top point guards in men’s college basketball. Over 80 candidates have been nominated for the 2013 Bob Cousy Award.

This watch list of candidates will be narrowed down to a final 20 around Jan. 1, final 10 near Feb. 1, and final five by approximately March 1. A premier Selection Committee has been appointed by the Hall of Fame to review the final five candidates in contention for the nation’s top collegiate point guard award. These Hall of Fame committees are made up of top college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers. The winner of the 2013 Bob Cousy Award will be presented at the Hall of Fame’s Class Announcement on Championship Monday in Atlanta, Ga., as part of NCAA Final Four weekend.

Chambers, a native of Golden Valley, Minn., has been named the Ivy League Rookie of the Week twice this season (Dec. 3 and Dec. 17). He ranks second on the Crimson with 12.6 points per contest and paces the Ivy League with 5.1 assists per game.

Chambers has been impressive from the foul line as a freshman and stands 13th in the nation in free throw shooting (.944) and has connected on 32 straight from the charity stripe since Nov. 13. Chambers is also knocking down 48.4 percent of his 3-point attempts (15-of-31) and is 15th in minutes per game (37.0). He has reached double figures in scoring six times and hit the game-winning shot in the final seconds in a 65-64 victory over Boston University Dec. 11.

“The Hall of Fame is proud to continue its mission with Mr. Cousy to celebrate and honor the top collegiate point guards in the country,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “This list represents a large range of college basketball’s top student athletes from across the country. We are excited to recognize these players for their continuous hard work and dedication.”

“The Bob Cousy Award promotes the values of leadership, determination, and teamwork, all skills needed on the basketball court and in life,” said Ken Kaufman, Chair of the Bob Cousy Award and former president of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). “Mr. Cousy exemplified all of these traits, and inspired so many people on and off the court. We hope that this coveted award continues to honor his legacy.”

Previous winners of the Bob Cousy Award have included Jameer Nelson (St. Joseph’s), Raymond Felton (North Carolina), Dee Brown (Illinois), Acie Law (Texas A & M), DJ Augustin (Texas), Ty Lawson (North Carolina), Greivis Vasquez (Maryland), Kemba Walker (Connecticut) and last year’s recipient, Kendall Marshall (North Carolina). For more information on the 2013 Bob Cousy, log onto www.CousyAward.com.

About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame:

Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the Birthplace of Basketball, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame promotes and preserves the game of basketball at every level – professional, collegiate, men and women."

Travis Records Double-Double in 73-64 Win Over Fordham

By: Tim Williamson, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications:

Jonah Travis had a double-double, finishing with 16 points and 12 rebounds, as the Harvard men’s basketball team defeated Fordham, 73-64, Saturday afternoon at Lavietes Pavilion.

Wesley Saunders added a game-high 17 points, hitting 13-of-18 free throws, and Siyani Chambers scored 13 points for Harvard, which evens its record to 3-3 on the year. Agunwa Okolie also reached double figures in points, tallying 11 points, while pulling down seven boards. Branden Frazier led Fordham with 16 points, as the Rams slip to 1-6 this season.

The Crimson knocked down 40 percent of its 3-point attempts (6-of-15), and scored 20 points off Fordham turnovers.

Saunders scored Harvard’s first basket by driving the lane and drawing contact before hitting a layup and the ensuing free throw, tying the game, 3-3. Okolie, who made his first-career start, added a dunk moments later, giving the Crimson a 5-3 lead. After Fordham went up, 7-5, Saunders made another nice move in the lane, making a basket after being fouled, 8-7. With just over 14 minutes left in the first, Kenyatta Smith scored on a tip-in, giving the Crimson a 10-9 advantage.

The Rams went on a 10-0 run to go up by nine, 19-9, with 11:38 remaining, and then added to its lead with a dunk by Ryan Canty off a Fordham miss, making it 21-10. After Saunders hit two foul shots, Chambers made a pass under the hoop to Travis, who finished with a layup, pulling Harvard back within seven, 21-14. Christian Webster stepped up on Harvard’s next possession and nailed a 3-pointer from the corner, as Harvard extended its run to 7-0 and made it a 21-17 game with 9:23 left.

On the next trip down the floor, Travis hit another layup, and connected on a free throw after being fouled, as it became a one-point game, 21-20. Chambers headed to the charity stripe at the 8:24 mark, and made both, giving Harvard a 22-21 lead and extending the scoring run to 12-0. With 6:46 left, Travis drew contact yet again before hitting a layup, giving the Crimson a 24-23 advantage.  After Harvard went up 27-23 after making more foul shots, Travis grabbed an offensive board and put it back to give the Crimson a six-point lead, 29-23.

Laurent Rivard buried a triple off an assist by Chambers with just over three minutes to play, but Fordham answered with its own 3-pointer seconds later, 32-31. Harvard carried a 36-33 lead into the break, thanks to shooting 85.7 percent from the line (12-of-14) and a 20-6 edge in rebounds. Travis led all players with 12 points in the first 20 minutes.

In the second, Okolie made a layup on the break, as Harvard led, 38-35, and then Travis collected an offensive rebound for another basket in the paint, 40-35. With 15:02 left, Christian Webster dribbled the lane, and finished with a bucket, as Harvard went up by six, 43-37.

Fordham got into foul trouble early in the second half, as the Crimson grew its lead to 46-37 by the 13:02 mark. After the Rams went on a mini-run to cut Harvard’s advantage to 46-41, Chambered hit a 3-pointer, making it a 49-43 contest in favor of the Crimson. With less than eight minutes to play, Saunders sent a pass to Chambers, who banked a 3-pointer off the backboard, as Harvard continued to lead, 57-48.

Rivard hit another triple for the Crimson moments later, as Harvard widened its advantage to 10, 60-50.The Rams crawled back to within seven, 62-55, with 4:28 left, and then made it a four-point game, 63-59, with 3:18 to play. Chambers hit his third shot of the day from beyond the arc to stretch the lead back to seven, 66-59, and then Saunders was fouled after grabbing a miss off his own shot with 1:39 left. Saunders hit one foul shot, as Harvard led by eight, 67-59, with 1:39 to go.

With 33.1 ticks left, Okolie headed to the line with Harvard up by four, 67-63, and hit both, making it 69-63.  

The Crimson will head on the road for two games, beginning with a contest at Boston College Tuesday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. The game will be shown live on ESPN3.com. 

Harvard Men’s Basketball Falls on Last-Second Shot at UMass, 67-64, on ESPN

By Tim Williamson, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications, Harvard University

AMHERST, Mass. – Wesley Saunders paced the Harvard men’s basketball team with a career-high 18 points, and Siyani Chambers added a career-best 14 points and seven assists, but the Crimson suffered a 67-64 setback to UMass Tuesday morning at the Mullins Center. The game was televised nationally on ESPN as part of the network’s Tip-Off Marathon.

Christian Webster tallied 10 points and pulled down four boards, as the Crimson falls to 1-1 on the year. Jesse Morgan led UMass (1-0) with 19 points off the bench.

UMass (1-0) led, 5-2, early on, but Saunders hit two from the foul line to cut the deficit to 5-4 with just over 17 minutes left in the first. The Crimson, which only hit one of its first six shots, trailed, 10-4, until Saunders made a reverse layup after drawing contact. Saunders made the free throw, making it 10-7 at the 14:53 mark remaining. On Harvard’s next possession, Jonah Travis also converted a conventional 3-point play, as the Crimson drew closer, 12-10.

After UMass opened up a seven-point edge, 19-12, Kenyatta Smith made a bucket in the paint off a pass from Chambers, getting Harvard back within five. With 8:00 to play, the Minutemen went up by nine, 26-17, but Chambers dribbled the length of the floor and finished with a floater in the lane, 26-19. Smith made a layup with just under five minutes to go, as Harvard kept it within 10, 29-21.

Harvard followed with scores on back-to-back possessions with layups by Travis and Saunders, making it 33-25. The Crimson continued to shoot the ball well down the stretch in the first, as Chambers connected on a trey, 33-28. UMass, though, went on a mini-run to go back up by nine, 37-28, with 1:44 remaining. 

Webster made two foul shots and then hit a layup on a nice move in the paint in the final minute to cut the deficit to five, 37-32. With time winding down in the half, Webster nailed a wide-open trey to get Harvard within just one, 38-37, at the break.

At the half, Chambers led Harvard with 12 points on 3-of-3 shooting from the field and four assists.

Smith made a layup to open the second half, giving Harvard a 39-38 lead. The Crimson maintained a one-point edge when Saunders sent a pass to Steve Moundou-Missi for a layup, 41-40. The Minutemen followed with a 4-0 run to go back up by three, but Laurent Rivard hit a 3-pointer from the corner to tie it up, 44-44. After UMass regained the lead, 52-46, Saunders made a trip to the foul line and hit both, bringing it to 52-48.

With just under 10 minutes to play, Saunders sank a layup on the break, keeping Harvard within four, 54-50. Smith made a bucket on the next Crimson trip down the floor, 54-52, forcing UMass to take a timeout. Chambers headed to the free throw line with 8:13 to go and made both, knotting the score, 54-54. With 6:37 left, Saunders made a basket under the hoop, putting Harvard up, 56-54.

Saunders was fouled with 5:30 remaining and hit the first of two foul shots, as Harvard led, 57-56. Harvard kept its lead, 60-59, when Webster drained another triple from the corner with 4:18 left to go.  Following the final media timeout of regulation, Moundou-Missi was fouled grabbing a defensive rebound and headed to the line. Moundou-Missi made both as the Crimson extended its lead to 62-59. 

With 1:21 left, Saunders walked to the foul line and made both, opening up a 64-59 advantage for Harvard. 

UMass scored the next five points to tie the game, 64-64, with 38.8 ticks left on the clock. Following a Harvard turnover at midcourt with 28 seconds left, UMass maintained possession until Carter Sampson nailed a shot from behind the arc with three ticks left to ice the victory.

Harvard returns home to host Manhattan at Lavietes Pavilion Friday, Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m.