Make no mistake: The Boston-area schools gave opponents a run for their money in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday.
Hours after No. 14 seed Northeastern came this close to upsetting third-seeded Notre Dame, No. 13 seed Harvard took the floor in Jacksonville, Fla., against fourth-seeded North Carolina looking to oust the favored Tar Heels. The Crimson almost pulled it off.
Despite trailing by as many as 16 points in the second half, Harvard battled back to take the lead with 1:15 left in the game on an amazing four-point play by guard Siyani Chambers.
The Crimson missed three shots in the final 75 seconds, however, and UNC tallied two crucial baskets to escape with the 67-65 win.
Harvard’s Wesley Saunders led all scorers with 26 points, and his team outscored the Tar Heels 40-31 in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Roy Williams’ squad from advancing to the Round of 32.
The loss ends an impressive streak for Harvard, which had advanced to the NCAA Tournament in the previous three seasons and made it out of the opening round in the last two. As for UNC, the Tar Heels will play the winner of No. 5 Arkansas and No. 12 Wofford and look to advance past the Round of 32 for the first time since 2011.
Thumbnail photo via Tommy Gilligan/USA TODAY Sports Images
