CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – A great start led Cornell to a halftime lead. A devastating Harvard run and tired legs erased it and led the Crimson to a 61-40 victory on Saturday afternoon at Lavietes Pavilion. The Crimson improved to 17-5 (7-1 Ivy), while the Big Red fell to 12-12 (4-4 Ivy).

Cornell used smothering defense and opportunistic offense to build a lead of as many as eight points in the first half and brought a 24-21 advantage into the break. Harvard turned the tables in the second 20 minutes.

A 24-2 Crimson run over the first 8:41 of the second half turned a three-point edge into a 19-point deficit in the blink of an eye, and Cornell could never recover. The starters didn't hit a second half field goal and the Big Red shot just 21 percent from the floor after halftime (24 percent for the game) in the loss.

Senior Shonn Miller led the Big Red with 10 points, eight rebounds and three blocks, while classmate Devin Cherry added eight points and JoJo Fallas hit a pair of 3-pointers off the bench for his six.

Harvard's Steve Moundou-Missi had 12 points and six rebounds to lead three double figure scorers, while Wesley Saunders had eight points, 11 rebounds and five assists. Both Siyani Chambers and Corbin Miller had 10 points. The Crimson shot 55 percent after halftime and 41 percent for the game and dominated the glass, outrebounding the Big Red 40-27.

Cornell's halftime lead was built on a defense that sped up the Crimson and limited their looks. The Big Red forced five turnovers, held Harvard to 9-of-29 shooting and without a 3-point field goal on eight errant attempts. Cornell didn't have an assist on its six baskets, but connected on 11-of-12 free throws to gain the lead.

An 8-2 Crimson run after the Big Red opened the game with a Devin Cherry jumper put the visitors in an early hole, but Cornell responded. Miller hit two free throws, then a 3-pointer to put them up 10-9. The lead would eventually grow to 19-11 after Hatter scored a three-point play and another runner in the lane sandwiched around two free throws by Cherry.

Moundou-Missi broke up a 7:35 stretch without a field goal for Harvard with a jumper, and a late three-point play by Jonah Travis and a driving layup by Chambers right before time expired got the home team back within three at the horn.

Wesley Saunders, who missed all six shots he took in the first half, hit a jumper, then a 3-pointer in the first 72 seconds of the second half to give harvard a lead. Agunwa Okolie dunked after a Harvard steal, Chambers hit a 3-pointer and then another. All of a sudden, Harvard led by double figures.

It wouldn't get better for the Big Red. Corbin Miller hit consecutive treys to make it a 19-point game and Cornell never got back within 16 points the rest of the way.

Cornell remains on the road next weekend for games at Yale on Friday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. at Brown on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 6 p.m. The Big Red split with the teams at home, defeating the Bears 57-49 on Jan. 30 and falling to the Bulldogs the following night, 65-57.