Sports in brief

Cusworth helps hoops bounce Lehigh

The Harvard men’s basketball team prevented a four-game slide with an 83-75 dismissal of visiting Lehigh on Nov. 25. The victory marked the Crimson’s first since the team’s 75-71 season-opening win against Maine on Nov. 11. The team now stands at 2-3 overall in the early going of the 2006-07 campaign (Harvard was battling New Hampshire as the Gazette went to press).

Against the Mountain Hawks, Harvard forced nine turnovers for 15 points and shot a blistering 52 percent from the field (16 of 31) to jump out to a 41-22 advantage at halftime. In the first four minutes of the second stanza, however, the visitors quickly closed the gap to 48-40. The Crimson offense – fruitless on seven consecutive possessions over a three-minute stretch – responded with a 16-7 run to take back its double-digit lead with just under 10 minutes remaining.

Harvard center Brian Cusworth ’07 poured in 20 points to lead all scorers in addition to collecting seven boards and three blocks. Regarding that last stat: the 7-footer moved ahead of Bill Mohler ’88 as Harvard’s all-time shot-blocking king with 118.

Women icers land league honors

The ECAC Hockey League named sophomore Jenny Brine its player of the week for her six-point effort (three goals and three assists) on the road against Quinnipiac and Princeton this past weekend. Brine, who also received the league honor for the week beginning Nov. 20, recorded a goal and two helpers in Harvard’s 6-1 win over the Bobcats (Nov. 24) and two goals and an assist in the team’s 5-0 blanking of the Tigers (Nov. 25). The wins improved Harvard to 9-1-0 overall, propelling the Crimson to first place in the ECAC standings.

In other individual achievements, freshman goaltender Christina Kessler collected the league’s rookie of the week nod for the period ending Nov. 26. Kessler had 30 saves against then-No. 8 Princeton to earn the shutout in just her second collegiate appearance.

Ogunwole pins down All-Star championship

Harvard heavyweight wrestler Bode Ogunwole ’07 captured the 285-pound weight class at the 41st National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic on Nov. 20 in Dallas. No. 2 Ogunwole defeated No. 4 Spencer Nadolsky of North Carolina, 3-2, in sudden victory.

An All-American grappler, Ogunwole was one of three Ivy League wrestlers to turn in a victory at the event. Penn’s Matt Valenti prevailed at 133 pounds, 6-5, and Jerry Rinaldi of Cornell won by forfeit at 197 pounds.