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SALT LAKE CITY — It really wasn't much of a game.
Harvard was a second round darling with a big upset over New Mexico, but Arizona wanted to move on to the Sweet 16 and had the talent to do it, and they finished with a 74-51 edge.
The talent of Arizona won out. Harvard came out cold while Arizona and Mark Lyons came out hot and fast looking to put down Harvard early. It was 17-2 before Harvard started to get their legs back.
"When they pounced on us early, I think it took us by surprise," said Christian Webster of Harvard who scored 8 points in his final career game.
After the 15-point hole Harvard was able to keep the game pretty close as they continued to fight.
"We've had a wonderful season," said coach Tommy Amaker.
The end of the season didn't come the way they would have wanted it to, but it is still beyond expectations. This could be one of the best seasons that Harvard had, but at the end of the day Arizona played harder and simply better in the round of 32.
Harvard is a young team, with only Webster as a senior, so another run next year could be in the cards for coach Amaker and crew.
The Wildcats only allowed one Crimson player to score in double figures, Kenyatta Smith who scored 10. Steve Moundou-Missi scored nine and Webster and Wesley Saunders had eight.
"Just give all credit to them they played great defense," said Siyani Chambers.
The game was rough and a physical nature exploded in the second half especially. Players on both teams were diving, scrapping and working to keep their dreams alive.
Chambers will have a memory all his own. In the first five minutes of the second half he was moving the ball up court and took an elbow to the face. He was grabbing his face while on the ground before play stopped. Once it did his teammates found a small chuck of tooth on the ground, Chambers has a chip taken out of his front tooth.
No one expected this game to happen, beating New Mexico was one of the biggest upsets of the tournament so far. Harvard was able to accomplish what few believed they could and they were able to be where they believed they should be.
We accomplished all our goals this year, we have nothing to be ashamed of," Webster said.
Arizona had just two players score in double figures, but one of them was the senior Lyons who had another big tournament game with 27. Solomon Hill scored 13 and grabbed 10 rebounds.
Arizona might become the story of the tournament. They will get to the Sweet 16, and have a good chance of moving on with the stellar play of Lyons, but as the clock was winding down the a good chunk of the crowd at Energy Solutions arena was pulling for the smart kids from Massachusetts.
