LOWELL, Mass. – Harvard women's basketball got back into the win column this afternoon by downing UMass Lowell, 62-41, to improve to 6-5 on the season.  Harvard was led by a near double-double performance from Elena Rodriguez as she contributed 13 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and two steals on the day. 
 
Three other Crimson players joined Rodriguez in double figures with Karlee White and Lola Mullaney each adding 11 points and Saniyah Glenn-Bello collecting ten points.  Harvard has now hit the mark of having four players in double figures in three straight games.

How it Happened

After Katie Krupa won the tip for the Crimson, Rodriguez instantly went to work by spinning around her defender and connecting in the paint to put the Crimson up 2-0.  Rodriguez went on to score or assist and the team's first eight points.  The River Hawks were able to stick around throughout the first quarter but a pair of buckets from Glenn-Bello and Rodriguez grew the Crimson lead to seven after the first frame. 
 
A pair of free throws courtesy of Abigail Wright gave the Crimson their largest lead of the day so far and opened up scoring for either team after three minutes of silence in the second quarter.  Other than a pair of baskets in the middle of the frame, the second quarter was all Harvard as the Crimson outscored the River Hawks 13-4 to close out the half.  Making her second appearance after returning from injury, Elle Stauffer recorded her first points of the season off an offensive rebound to add to the Crimson 7-0 run to end the quarter. 
 
Forced to the bench with foul trouble, Mullaney returned in the second half and quickly notched five points to help the Crimson pull ahead by 21.  From there on out, the River Hawks went on their own run and brought the contest within seven as the third quarter concluded. 
 
Despite UMass Lowell pulling within single digits, the Crimson were able to build back out to a 21-point margin by holding the River Hawks to 7.7% shooting from the field in the final frame.  The Crimson celebrated another return in the final quarter as Gabby Anderson drove the lane to record her first points of the season in her first appearance since January 14.  With seven points from first-year, White, in the fourth quarter, the Crimson outscored its opponents 20-6 in the final ten minutes and closed out the victory heading into the holidays. 

Harvard Highlights

• Elena Rodriguez posted yet another all-around performance by scoring 13 points on 6-of-13 shooting, grabbing nine rebounds, dishing out four assists, and recording three steals.  The Crimson junior ultimately led the team in every statistical category. 
• Lola Mullaney (11), Karlee White (11), and Saniyah Glenn-Bello (10), all joined in double digit scoring, marking the third straight game with four Crimson players in double figures.
• With her five made field goals, Mullaney cracked yet another top-ten list by moving into No. 10 all-time in career field goals with 470.  The senior surpassed Brogan Berry '11 (468) and is the first Crimson player to break into the top-10 since 2011. 
• White has found her groove on the offensive end as she has recorded 11 points in each of the last three games.  Today, the first-year also added four rebounds, two assists, and two steals. 
• Abigail Wright had a dominant day on the offensive boards as six of her eight total rebounds came on the offensive end.  The first-year also added six points in the contest.
• The win was another total team effort as all ten active Crimson players scored at least once in the contest. 
• The Crimson dominated inside the paint against the River Hawks, scoring 38 of their 62 points close to the rim in comparison to UMass Lowell's 18. 
• Harvard played locked down defense all game by recording nine steals and holding their opponents to 27.7% from the field and 10% from three-point land. 
• The Crimson won the rebounding battle on the day by grabbing 37 rebounds to the River Hawk's 29. 
• In the last two games the Crimson have welcomed back two players from injury.  Elle Stauffer and Gabby Anderson returned to the lineup in consecutive games, and both recorded their first points of the season this afternoon. 
• With the win the Crimson extend their win streak over the River Hawks to two.  Over the last two season, Harvard and UMass Lowell have faced off for the first times in series history and the Crimson now hold the 2-0 advantage. 

Next Up

Following a short holiday break, the Crimson will return to action against University of Rhode Island on Thursday, December 28.  Tip-off is set for 6:00 p.m. in the Thomas M. Ryan Center and on ESPN+.