BOSTON — Harvard left UMass freshman Tafara Gapare open after his two ranging steps took him from the foul line beyond the three-point arc. He’d only played 21 minutes before Friday’s game at Lavietes Pavilion and taken just two shots. The highly-touted but seldom-used freshman received Matt Cross’ pass as Harvard’s zone sagged for a drive. Gapare calmly elevated his 6-foot-9 inch frame and swished a go-ahead 3 with 1 minute, 8 seconds left.
It capped an 11-point UMass comeback, as the Minutemen left with a 71-68 victory, their fifth in a row.
“We regrouped and found the resolve to make uplifting plays and play with a little enthusiasm and energy and figured out a way to win,” UMass coach Frank Martin said. “I got no idea how we won, but we did, and I’ll take it.”
Gapare’s triple put the Minutemen ahead 69-67, and they survived three Harvard offensive possessions and allowing just one Luke Sakota free throw. Gapare missed a potential dagger with 25 seconds remaining, then he locked down Harvard star Chris Ledlum on the Crimson’s key offensive possession.
Harvard had the ball down one with two seconds left, but Ledlum (game-high 25 points, 12 rebounds) ran into Minutemen Gapare at the rim and dribbled the ball out of bounds. Gapare finished with eight points, three rebounds and a steal.
“We got him the ball tight to the basket. I thought he rushed it,” Harvard coach Tommy Amaker said. “It wasn’t a lot of time, but we always try to say you have more time than you think. Sometimes as your energy gets ratcheted up like that, because of the thinking of clock pressure and the intensity in the building.”
UMass fans packed the 1,636-seat arena to capacity and turned the seocnd-oldest active college basketball arena into the Mullins Center east. The visitors loudly booed Harvard’s starters and cheered their own, and UMass chants sprang up regularly.
“It was confusing. I hear the fans going nuts and I’m in a good mood because our players did something right. I’m used to being on the road yelling at them because we just messed something up to give the other team energy and, and it was confusing, but it’s fun,” Martin said. “What an incredible game for the state of Massachusetts. It’s a great basketball state, and when you play games like today, sold out arena, two really good teams going at it, incredible game, that’s what it’s all about.”
The Crimson fouled UMass freshman RJ Luis on the inbound pass following Ledlum’s turnover, and he made both to seal the final margin. They were his first two free throws of the game.
“Cold blooded,” UMass’ T.J. Weeks Jr. said. “That’s going to boos their confidence going into other games where we’re going to need that.”
UMass forward Matt Cross, who battled foul trouble all game, put the Minutemen ahead 66-65 with a free throw with 1:39 remaining, making the second of two.
Dyondre Dominguez fouled out trying to strip Ledlum with 1:23 left. Ledlum made both free throws to give Harvard a 67-66 advantage.
Dominguez stole the ball from Ledlum driving to the hoop on the previous possession with less than two minutes left in a tie game.
Weeks gave UMass its first lead of the second half 65-63 driving to the hoop with 2:53 left. He missed the free throw, and Harvard’s Sam Silverstein evened the game with two free throws at 2:48. Weeks registered 13 points, three rebounds and three assists.
UMass guard Noah Fernandes injured his ankle driving to the cup with 3:20 left, drawing a foul. He could barely put weight on his right foot wincing as he hobbled to the free throw line. The senior form Mattapoisett sank both to tie the game at 63, exiting to a standing ovation with a team-high 18 points and two steals.
“He’s a tough, I can’t cuss, but he’s a tough dude,” Weeks said. “I knew he was gonna hit those. I had no worry in my mind he was going to miss them.”
South Carolina transfer Wildens Leveque hammered down a two-handed dunk to shave UMass’ deficit to 59-57 at the 5:29 mark, then Luis dropped in a jumper to make it 60-59 with 4:48 on the clock.
Leveque drew a foul with 3:56 left after grabbing his own miss. He made two free throws to bring the Minutemen within one again.
Fernandes narrowed the gap to three points with 7:43 left after his up and under jumper made it 56-53. Then his crossover jumper cut Harvard’s advantage to 57-55 with 7:02 left.
Fernandes scored nine points in a row for the Minutemen during that stretch.
Gapare brought the Minutemen within a possession midway through the second half. He drained a gangly step back 3 with 12:59 left to make it 46-44, affected Ledlum’s layup on the other end and grabbed a rebound and drew a foul driving to the basket but missed both free throws.
Gapare smothered Chisom Okpara’s shot on Harvard’s next possession. He played his largest role of the season in the second half with Dominguez and Cross saddled with foul trouble.
Harvard then opened an 8-2 run to take a 54-46 lead with 10:03 to go.
Weeks drained a side-stepping 3 that ignited the pro-UMass crowd 2:22 into the second half, which he converted into a four-point play after a foul. That brought the Minutemen within five, the closest they’d been since midway through the first half.
“They started talking a little smack, and that got me going,” Weeks said. “It’s time to turn up. What better time is it to turn up besides now?”
UMass built an early 13-10 lead after Dominguez hit a 3 from the top of the key and sank a layup with 12:10 to halftime. He picked up his second foul less than two minutes later, and the Crimson ripped off a 14-0 run.
Fernandes halted it with a double clutch jump shot through a foul. He cut the deficit to 24-16 after he hit the free throw.
The Minutemen narrowed the gap as close as six after a Cross layup with 3:336 to half, but Harvard scored six of the half’s final nine points to take a 34-25 advantage into the locker room. The Crimson outscored UMass 24-14 in the paint in the first half.
“It’s become the best Division I college basketball game in our state,” Amaker said. “It has that kind of rivalry, and its been these kind of games.”