“I think Jonah Travis and Corbin Miller are two huge keys to their success,” Brown coach Mike Martin said. “They come off the bench, and they accept their roles.”

Travis was a force on the offensive boards, repeatedly pulling down the rock and then drawing the ensuing foul. Travis’ ability to keep possessions alive clearly deflated a Brown squad that was feeding off of the energy of its home crowd. 

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“Travis was huge,” Martin said. “He had some huge offensive rebounds, some huge baskets. [He] brings great energy [and] toughness to their team.”

The senior finished the night with 11 points, five rebounds, and two blocks.

Meanwhile, while Miller may have only finished with five points, his ability to run the point and only turn the ball over once was crucial. In addition, the sophomore knocked down two clutch free throws with 24 seconds remaining in overtime to put the contest out of reach. 

TALE OF TWO HALVES

For the opening 16 and a half minutes of the first half, Harvard had a big zero on its stat sheet: zero turnovers, that is. The Crimson finished the first half with only two turnovers, as junior co-captain Siyani Chambers took care of the ball masterfully.

While Harvard may have recorded no statistical “fast break” points in the first half, Chambers was constantly pushing the ball and finding secondary cutters in transition. Turnovers have plagued Harvard for much of the year, so Chambers’ ability to be a true floor general was a key component of its six-point lead heading into the half. 

But something changed at the break.

Before it could even score a point in the second half, the Crimson had committed seven turnovers. Chambers was not even the culprit.

First, sophomore Zena Edosomwan coughed the ball up twice. Then, it was Saunders and co-captain Steve Moundou-Missi with back-to-back traveling violations. 

Next, Edosomwan and Saunders each turned the ball over once more. Amid all the sloppy play, Harvard went six minutes without a point until Saunders knocked down a free throw. 

Brown took advantage of Harvard’s miscues, as it was 41-37 before the Crimson could even manage a field goal. Harvard finished the night with 14 total turnovers but limited itself to only one in overtime.