Nov 16, 2001
BOSTON (AP) - Patrick Harvey scored 19 points, eight in the final two minutes, and Brady Merchant added 17 Friday night as Harvard beat Fairfield 68-62 in the season opener for both teams.
Deng Gai led the Stags (0-1) with 19 points and seven rebounds while Sam Spann scored 14 points.
Harvey's eight-point outburst in the final 1:58 helped Harvard (1-0) outscore Fairfield 10-5 in the final minutes.
The Crimson opened their biggest lead of the night 53-43 on Harvey's 3-point play at 7:25 of the second half.
But two free throws by Gai and a jump shot by Spann triggered a 6-2 Fairfield run that cut the Harvard lead to 58-57 with 2:09 to play.
On the ensuing possession Gai was called for a personal foul and then for a technical foul. Harvard made three of four free throws to ignite the final run.
Merchant came off the bench to score 13 points in the first half as Harvard took a 39-31 halftime lead.
Fairfield outshot Harvard from the field and outrebounded the Crimson, but had 16 turnovers.
Harvard was 7-for-21 from 3-point range led by Merchant with three
3-pointers.
