CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard made key free throws in the final 25 seconds to edge the Maine men’s basketball team 75-71 in the mutual season opener Saturday.

Harvard built its lead to 71-66, but a Jon Sheets 3-pointer with 25 seconds remaining pulled the Black Bears to within two points before the Crimson sealed it with free throws.

Junior Bernal led Maine with 18 points, while Philippe Philippe Tchekane Bofia added 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Tchekane Bofia scored the first five points for the Bears who tied with the Crimson early. Harvard then went on a run to take a 16-11 lead with 11:27 left in the first half.

Bernal scored six straight points as Maine took a 17-16 lead. Later in the half Harvard’s Drew Housman hit a 3-pointer but Maine’s Olli Ahvenniemi followed with a conventional 3-point play and the two teams were tied at 20-20 with 8:09 to go.

Kevin Reed made a 3-pointer to put Maine up by three points. Harvard then went on another run to take a 30-25 lead with 3:51 remaining in the first half.

Bernal and Tchekane Bofia combined for nine points in an 11-2 Maine run to start the second half but Tchekane Bofia picked up his fourth foul with 17:04 remaining in the game and went to the bench.

Harvard cut the Maine lead to three points with a 3-pointer by Jim Goffredo. The Black Bears rebuilt their lead to 44-37 capped by a Chris Bruff dunk. Harvard cut the lead to just one point but Sheets answered with a 3-pointer to extend Maine’s advantage to 47-43.

Maine continued to be hampered by foul trouble. Two more starters, Reed, and Ahvenniemi picked up their third fouls with less than 12 minutes left.

The two teams continued to battle back and forth and were tied 53-53 with 7:42 left. Sheets and Reed each hit 3-pointers, but Harvard answered back to take a 62-61 lead with 4:47 remaining. Harvard had a 66-65 lead with 3:11 to play.

Reed chipped in with 12 points for Maine and Sheets had 11.

Brian Cusworth paced Harvard with 20 points and Goffredo added 19.

The Black Bears return to action tonight when they face Detroit in the College Basketball Experience in Milwaukee.

CRIMSON 75,BLACK BEARS 71

Maine (0-1) Harvard (1-0)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Ahvnniemi 2 3 1 1 5 Harris 1 5 9

Tchkn-Bfia 8 12 1 2 17 Cusworth 5 10 13 20

Sheets 4 11 0 0 11 Housman 4 8 15

Bernal 6 9 6 9 18 Goffredo 5 12 4 4 19

Reed 5 15 0 0 12 Pusar 0 1 0 0

Bruff 1 4 0 1 2 Lambert 0 1 0

Socoby 0 4 2 2 2 Lin 1 6 2

Cook 1 2 0 0 2 Unger 4 5 1 10

Cvanaugh 1 7 0 0 2 Darcy 0 0 0

Churchwll 0 0 0

Totals 28 67 10 15 71 Totals 20 45 28 37 75

Maine 29 71

Harvard 32 75

3-pt. goals – Maine (5-20): Sheets 3-10, Reed 2-6, Socoby 0-3, Bernal 0-1; Harvard (7-18): Goffredo 5-10, Unger 1-2, Housman 1-3, Cusworth 0-1, Lambert 0-1, Lin 0-1

Attendance: 750