Penn tops Harvard in overtime to advance to Ivy League championship

ITHACA, N.Y. — Penn is one win away from a berth in March Madness.

Despite being without Ethan Roberts, the team’s second-leading scorer who was ruled out with a concussion on Friday, Penn rallied against Harvard in the semifinals of the Ivy League tournament to earn a 62-60 overtime victory and a spot in Sunday’s championship.

Penn (17-11, 9-5 Ivy League) will face top-seeded Yale (24-5, 11-3) at noon.

Tied at 60 in the waning minutes of overtime, AJ Levine scored the game-winning layup on Saturday in Ithaca, New York, as Harvard’s Tey Barbour missed the final shot.

“We talked about that action all week,” Levine said of the game-winning play. “And like the other times we played them, we knew it was going to be successful when we called it. I knew what to expect. So I just had the mindset to go make sure I go make that layup and win the game for us.”

Levine subbed into the game after Jay Jones, who had scored the first points of overtime, went down with an apparent ankle injury.

» READ MORE: Penn’s Ethan Roberts is out of the Ivy League tournament due to a concussion

“The only thing that was going through my head was I got to match Jay Jones’ energy,” Levine added. “He came in and made such an impact. He was playing his butt off and just working so hard and making big plays for us. When someone goes down like that, you have to be so ready to come in and match that.”

Harvard, the Ivy League’s leader in fewest points allowed, got a taste of its own medicine in the first half. In a stout defensive showing, Penn forced 10 first-half Crimson turnovers — thanks to TJ Power (16 points, 12 rebounds) and Levine (9 points, 2 steals).

Power notched two steals and a block in the first half. In a frame where both teams had 32 possessions, it was Penn’s ability to force missed shots and take the ball away that made the difference.

“When it’s [playoff] basketball,” Levine said. “You have to leave every single thing out there. So we knew it was going to be physical. We knew it was going to be a battle, but knowing that we’re going to leave every single thing out there, every guy that touched the floor is going to be completely connected, and physical is our goal.”

Power also scored 13 of his 16 points in the first half to lead the Quakers to a 30-26 halftime lead.

“We had a lot of different guys make plays,” said head coach Fran McCaffery. “And I think that’s the key to our team. TJ carried us in the first half, a number of guys scored the ball in the second half.”

Harvard shot 40.3% from the floor and 25.8% on three-pointers for the game, while its primary scorer, Robert Hinton, who’s averaging 17.1 points, was held to six points.

» READ MORE: Three schools later, TJ Power came to Penn with armor. He’s feeling ‘indestructible.’

A chaotic final minutes, which included a missed potential game-winning three-pointer from Jones at the buzzer, sent the game to overtime tied at 53. With both teams struggling to score, Penn looked to Jones.

After trading more blows, Penn led 59-58 with under a minute to go. After Michael Zanoni missed a midrange shot, forward Lucas Lueth saved the day, as he dove for the ball and called a timeout.

“There were a number of game-winning plays,” McCaffery said. “Obviously, we look to AJ’s bucket, but Lucas Leuth diving on the ball, calling timeout. Those are game-winning plays. Those are understanding the situation and lead to great things.”

Power sank a free-throw on the ensuing play, before Levine hit the game-winner.

Roberts has been a large part of the Quakers’ identity. A senior captain, Roberts, despite not being on the floor, left an impact on Saturday’s game.

“He wanted to be here so bad,” Power said. “You guys know, he’s a huge part of what we did this year, we would not be here without Ethan. But I think the standard that he’s set all year has carried on with us.

“That toughness that AJ talked about, that we grew throughout the year. He’s a big part of that, both in the games, but also vocally in the locker room. His mark is all over this playoff run. So to get a win and extend this season. You know, personally, I’m doing it for him, too. So it’s been good.”

McCaffery, in his first year at the helm of his alma mater, credited the players’ commitment for the team’s championship push.

“​​It’s a phenomenal feeling when you take over, and you look at that group for the first time, and you tell them, ‘Believe in me,’” McCaffery said. “This is what’s possible. ... That’s what they did. We got some tough guys in that locker room. We’ve got workers. We’ve got incredibly unselfish players.”