PRINCETON, N.J. – Senior guard
McKenzie Forbes scored 16 points, and sophomore guard
Harmoni Turner tallied 11 points and eight rebounds, but No. 3 seed Harvard University women's basketball fell to No. 1 seed Princeton University, 54-48, in the championship game of the 2023 Ivy League Tournament on Saturday night at Princeton's Jadwin Gymnasium.
The Crimson (17-11) led 32-23 at halftime, gained a lead as large as 11 points in the third quarter, and remained ahead 44-37 at the start of the fourth quarter before the host Tigers (23-5) outscored the visitors, 17-4, in the final frame. Harvard held a 48-47 lead with under a minute to play before Princeton scored the game's final seven points.
Harvard made its first appearance in the Ivy League Tournament final since the event began in 2017 with Forbes – an Ivy League All-Tournament Team selection – scoring 21.5 points per game over the two games and Turner averaging 14.5 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.
The Crimson will look for a potential berth in the Postseason Women's National Invitation Tournament. The WNIT will announce its field on the night of Sunday, Mar. 12 and release its full bracket on Monday, Mar. 13.
Harvard Highlights
- Senior guard McKenzie Forbes tallied a team-high 16 points and five rebounds. She scored in double figured for the 17th time this season. Forbes finished in double figures in both games at the tournament after netting 27 points in the semifinals.
- Sophomore guard Harmoni Turner registered 11 points, a team-best eight rebounds, and two assists. She finished in double figures for the 21st time this season. Turner scored in double figures in both games on the weekend after posting a double-double on 18 points and 12 boards in the semifinals.
- Junior guard Lola Mullaney netted 10 points on 3-of-4 field goals, 2-of-3 3-pointers, and 2-of-2 free throws, while adding three rebounds. She scored in double figures for the 21st time this season.
- First-year forward Katie Krupa notched six points on 3-of-4 shooting with five rebounds and two steals.
- Sophomore forward Elena Rodriguez contributed three points, three boards, two assists, and two blocks, and senior guard Maggie McCarthy chipped in a team-high three steals, two assists, and two points.
Gallery: (3-11-2023) Ivy Madness: Championship Game
How It Happened
- The Crimson connected on 7-of-10 field goals to open the game, taking a 15-14 lead with 3:09 left in the first quarter. During that opening stretch, Turner netted eight points on 4-of-4 shooting while Forbes sank a 3-pointer. Harvard trailed Princeton 18-15 at the end of the first quarter.
- In the second quarter, Harvard scored six straight points to take a 21-19 lead with 5:56 to go until halftime. Krupa started the run with a layup before Forbes scored on back-to-back layups.
- After the Tigers tied it at 23-23, the Crimson closed the half on a 9-0 run, bringing a 32-23 lead into the intermission. Krupa started the run with a layup, Forbes then made back-to-back buckets, and Mullaney closed the half with a 3-pointer off an assist from Turner. Krupa made 3-of-3 shots from the field in the first half.
- Harvard extended its lead to 11 points – its largest – at 39-28 with 7:48 left in the third quarter as Rodriguez made a jumper and Forbes sank two free throws and a 3-pointer. A trey from Mullaney kept the margin at 11 at 42-31 at the 5:56 mark of the third. After Princeton pulled within 42-37, the Crimson took a 44-37 edge into the final frame.
- After Princeton opened the fourth quarter on a 7-1 spurt to pull within 45-44 with 6:36 to play, a jumper from Turner stopped the run, giving Harvard a 47-44 edge with 5:06 left. The Tigers knotted the score at 47-47 with 1:46 to go with a 10-3 stretch.
- Rodriguez made a free throw with 1:18 remaining to put Harvard back up 48-47 before the Tigers went ahead 49-48 with 50.7 seconds on the clock and 51-48 with 37.2 seconds left. Princeton added a free throw with 17.4 seconds to play and a pair with 5.0 on the clock.
Quotes and Notes
- "Obviously not the result I wanted and honestly not the result I expected. I felt very confident in our group tonight. We were in the same situation here two weeks ago. I thought we had learned what that requires to come out of here with a win. We still have some growing up to do unfortunately. It's an emotional locker room in there. These girls have worked tremendously hard to walk away from this weekend as champions. It hurts to not do that, but credit to Princeton. They played a great game and a great second half." – Carrie Moore, The Kathy Delaney-Smith Head Coach For Harvard Women's Basketball
- An Ivy League All-Tournament Team selection, Forbes averaged 21.5 points per game at the tournament, netting 27 points in the semifinals and 16 in the final.
- Turner tallied 14.5 points and 10.0 rebounds per game at the tournament. She registered 18 points and 12 rebounds in the semis before posting 11 points and eight boards in the final.
- Harvard connected on 7-of-10 field goals to open the game, including 4-of-4 shooting from Turner. The Crimson made 7-of-11 field goals (63.6 percent) in the first quarter.
- In the first half, Harvard led in points in the paint (22-14) and points off turnovers (8-0).
- Harvard went 1-2 against Princeton on the year after the two teams split the regular season series.
Next Up
Harvard will look for a potential berth in the Postseason Women's National Invitation Tournament. The WNIT will announce its field on the night of Sunday, Mar. 12 and release its full bracket on Monday, Mar. 13.
