Junior Jackie Alemany tied for a team-high 11 rebounds to equal her career high. Photo courtesy of Gil Talbot. 

HANOVER, N.H. – The Harvard women's basketball team fell to Dartmouth, 45-44, in the Ivy League opener for both teams Saturday night. Juniors Emma Markley and Christine Matera led the Crimson in scoring with 11 points each.

After quickly scoring three points, the Crimson went scoreless for the next five minutes, as Dartmouth brought the lead to 7-3. Back-to-back baskets by freshmen Miriam Rutzan and Victoria Lippert tied the score at 7-7 with 13 minutes remaining in the half. The two teams traded baskets to keep the game close until the Big Green went on an 11-5 run to close out the half. The Crimson trailed 25-18.

Dartmouth opened up the second half with two quick baskets, but the Crimson responded with 15-6 run to cut the Big Green lead to just two with 13 minutes remaining.
Neither team was able to score for over four minutes, as Dartmouth held on to a 39-36 lead.

Dartmouth's Betsy Williams broke the scoring drought with two points from the free-throw line. Matera scored from behind the arc to stop the Crimson's seven-minute scoring drought and sophomore Brogan Berry added a layup to bring Harvard to within two with just over two minutes remaining in the game.

With under a minute to play, a layup by junior Jackie Alemany gave Harvard its first lead of the game since the opening possession to put the score at 44-43. But with five seconds left on the clock, Dartmouth's Margaret Smith was fouled and sealed the victory for the Big Green as she made both of her free throws.

Markley recorded her sixth double-double of the season as she scored 11 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Alemany tied her career-high rebounds with 11.

Harvard steps out of conference play to take on No.16 Florida State Thursday in Tallahassee, Fla. Tip off is slated for 7 p.m.