The University of Pennsylvania men’s basketball team delivered a heart-pounding overtime thriller on March 14, 2026, defeating Harvard 62-60 in the Ivy League Tournament semifinal at Newman Arena in Ithaca, New York. The Quakers punched their ticket to the championship game after an electrifying finish, with AJ Levine’s baseline layup in the final seconds and a clutch defensive stand sealing the deal for Penn. This win not only extended Penn’s season but also set up a showdown with top-seeded Yale for the Ivy League’s automatic NCAA Tournament bid.
Heading into the semifinal, Harvard was the slight favorite, with oddsmakers giving the Crimson a -2.5 point edge and setting the over/under at 136.5 points. But if there’s one thing March basketball teaches us, it’s that predictions can’t account for grit, hustle, and a bit of Quaker magic. Penn, carrying a 17-11 record, had already built a reputation this season for covering spreads and hitting the under—trends that held true in this defensive slugfest.
From the opening tip, both teams traded runs and defensive stops. Penn broke an early 10-10 tie with an 8-2 burst, all courtesy of junior forward TJ Power, who would go on to anchor the Quakers’ effort on both ends. Power scored 13 of his game-high 16 points in the first half, helping Penn build a 27-18 lead. But Harvard, as persistent as ever, clawed back with an 8-3 run, closing the gap to 30-26 by halftime thanks to a buzzer-beater from Chandler Pigge.
“We just kept fighting, even when the shots weren’t falling,” Power said after the game, reflecting on the Quakers’ resilience during a stretch when both teams went nearly four minutes without a basket. That defensive intensity was a hallmark of the contest—Penn forced 17 Harvard turnovers while committing just eight themselves, a +9 margin that proved critical. The Quakers entered the game leading the Ivy League in turnover margin, and they leaned into that strength when it mattered most.
The second half saw Harvard surge ahead for the first time since early in the game, sparked by a Barbour three-pointer and a Pigge trey that gave the Crimson a four-point cushion. Penn, though, refused to wilt. Freshmen Jay Jones and Dalton Scantlebury connected on a key layup, and Cam Thrower, stepping up in place of injured starter Ethan Roberts, drilled a clutch three. Thrower finished with 11 points, marking his sixth double-figure scoring game this season and his first since December 28, 2025.
Harvard’s Tey Barbour, who led the Crimson with 16 points and two blocks, and Ben Eisendrath, who added 15 points, six rebounds, and six assists, kept the pressure on. Thomas Batties II dominated the boards for Harvard with 11 rebounds, but Penn’s defense did a stellar job holding first-team All-Ivy selection Robert Hinton to just six points—a testament to the Quakers’ game plan and execution.
With the score tied at 51 and the clock winding down, both teams had chances to take the lead. Eisendrath hit a tough fallaway shot with just over a minute left, but Michael Zanoni—who had struggled against Harvard in the regular season—rose to the occasion. Zanoni scored 11 points and grabbed four rebounds, including a game-tying jumper with 54 seconds remaining to send the contest into overtime. “I just wanted to do whatever I could to help the team win,” Zanoni said, his confidence evident after scoring just two points in two previous games against Harvard.
Overtime was a roller coaster. Jones gave Penn the early lead with an and-1, and Augustus Gerhart chipped in three crucial points. The Quakers built a 58-53 advantage, but Harvard stormed back with a Barbour triple and two Hunt free throws, trimming the deficit to one. Then came the defining sequence: with under a minute left, Power grabbed a critical offensive rebound, and after a timeout, he was fouled and split his free throws to put Penn up two.
Barbour answered with a driving layup to tie the game at 60, setting the stage for Levine’s heroics. With just 6.1 seconds on the clock, Levine found a sliver of space along the right baseline and attacked, finishing a tough layup to put Penn ahead. On the ensuing possession, Levine contested Barbour’s potential game-winning three, forcing a miss and igniting a wild celebration from the Quaker bench. “I saw the lane open up and just went for it,” Levine said. “Then I knew I had to get back and make a stop.” Levine finished with nine points, three rebounds, two assists, and two steals, but none bigger than his final contributions on both ends of the floor.
Power’s stat line was a thing of beauty: 16 points, 12 rebounds, and four steals—his sixth double-double of the season, with Penn now 5-1 in those games. The Quakers, as a team, shot a season-low eight free throws, but Harvard only managed two, an opponent low for Penn this year. Both teams’ defensive discipline kept the game tight and the score well under the projected total.
Freshman Jay Jones delivered valuable minutes off the bench, notching six points and five boards in 23 minutes, while fellow freshman Scantlebury added four points and two rebounds. For Harvard, Pigge contributed nine points, six rebounds, and six assists, rounding out a balanced but ultimately frustrated Crimson attack.
The win marked Penn’s first overtime game of the season and only their second in Ivy League Tournament history. After famously dropping the inaugural Ivy Madness OT game to Princeton, this victory was doubly sweet. Penn’s record improved to 17-11, while Harvard’s season ended at 17-12.
Looking ahead, the Quakers face their biggest challenge yet: a noon championship showdown with top-seeded Yale, who dispatched Cornell 88-76 in the other semifinal. The game will air live on ESPN2, and the winner punches their ticket to the NCAA Tournament. With momentum, confidence, and a flair for the dramatic, the Quakers are ready for one more dance.
As the dust settles in Ithaca, Penn’s thrilling win over Harvard will be remembered for its clutch plays, defensive grit, and the emergence of new heroes. For now, all eyes turn to Sunday’s championship—a fitting finale for Ivy League basketball’s wildest weekend.