Harvard basketball season brought to a close by the UNC Tar Heels

Harvard’s close loss to North Carolina ends an Ivy League championship year.

Siyani Chambers ’16 scored 13 points—including a go-ahead three-pointer and free throw with just over a minute remaining—in Harvard’s 67-65 loss to North Carolina.

A furious comeback by the Harvard men’s basketball team fell short Thursday evening as the Crimson lost to the heavily favored North Carolina Tar Heels 67-65 in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The Crimson trailed by 16 points with just over 15 minutes left before reeling off a 29-11 run to take a 65-63 lead with just over a minute to play. But the Tar Heels scored the next four points and held on to their 67-65 margin when Wesley Saunders ’15—who led all scorers with 26 points—held the ball at the top of the key and missed a possible game-winning three-pointer with time expiring. The Crimson, which captured its fifth consecutive Ivy League championship this year and reached its fourth straight NCAA tournament, finished the year 22-8 overall.

For the full report, see “Harvard, Heeled.”

Read more articles by David L. Tannenwald

You might also like

How Women Are Changing the NBA

From coaching staffs to front offices, female leaders are bringing new strategies to men’s basketball.

How a Harvard Hockey Legend Became a Needlepoint Artist

Joe Bertagna’s retirement project recreates figures from Boston sports history.

Harvard Students, Alumni to Compete at the 2026 Olympics

Six Crimson athletes are headed to the XXV Winter Games in Milano Cortina. 

Most popular

How the American Revolution Freed a Future Abolitionist

Darby Vassall, an enslaved child freed after the Battle of Bunker Hill, dedicated his life to fighting for liberty.

America’s National Parks Are a $56 Billion Economic Engine

Harvard’s Linda Bilmes on measuring the economic value of public lands

Michael Sandel’s “The Tyranny of Merit” reviewed by Spencer Lenfield

Michael Sandel makes the case against meritocracy.

Explore More From Current Issue

Historical scene depicting a parade with soldiers and a town square in the background.

When the Revolution Hit Cambridge, Harvard Moved to Concord

College students broke hearts and windows during their year in exile.

A man holding a revolver and lantern, wearing a hat and coat, appears to be walking cautiously.

Scoundrels, Then and Now

On con men, Mark Twain, and the powers of the Harvard name

A woman in glasses gestures while speaking to two attentive listeners at a table.

How to Cook with Wild Plants

From wild greens spanakopita to rose petal panna cotta, forager and chef Ellen Zachos makes one-of-a-kind meals.