Boston, MA (SportsNetwork.com) - Justin Burrell scored 16 points to help Holy Cross to a 58-57 upset win over No. 25 Harvard on Sunday at TD Garden.
Eric Green and Malcolm Miller each scored 12 for the Crusaders (1-0), who hadn't defeated a ranked opponent since 1977.
Reigning Ivy League Player of the Year Wesley Saunders finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds to pace the Crimson (1-1), while Jonah Travis had nine points with seven rebounds and Steve Moundou-Missi and Corbin Miller each added eight points.
Harvard opened the season with a 73-62 win over MIT on Friday.
Moundou-Missi scored four straight points, the last of which coming on a dunk off a feed from Siyani Chambers, to give the Crimson a 55-51 lead with 3:20 remaining.
Burrell answered at the other end with a layup, then Holy Cross would score the next five points from the foul line for a three-point edge.
Moundou-Missi ended the scoreless drought for Harvard with another dunk from Chambers to cut the deficit to 58-57 with 45 seconds left.
Holy Cross ran the shot clock down before Green missed a jumper, but Saunders missed the potential game-winner at the other end as time expired.
Burrell's layup early in the first half capped an 8-0 run for the Crusaders to open the game.
Saunders then followed a Travis dunk with 13 straight points before Miller knocked down a 3-pointer to give Harvard an 18-17 lead with 6 1/2 minutes to go in the first.
Late in the half, Travis converted a three-point play prior to Malachi Alexander closing the frame with a layup as the Crimson took a 28-27 lead into the break.
Game Notes
Chambers went 0-for-3 from the floor with eight turnovers ... Holy Cross shot 23-of-56 from the floor, but 3-for-12 from beyond that arc ... Harvard outrebounded the Crusaders 36-29 but committed 24 turnovers in the setback.
