Amherst, Mass. - The Harvard women's basketball team (19-11, 9-5 Ivy) won on the road at the home of the UMass Minutewomen (27-7, 13-2 CAA) by a score of 89-87 in the second round of the WNIT to advance to the third round for the first time in Harvard history.
The Minutewomen put the first points on the board as Elena Rodriguez scored from the floor to get the Crimson started. Six threes in the quarter from McKenzie Forbes, Lola Mullaney and Harmoni Turner brought the Crimson the lead as they ended the first ten on top, 28-24.
Harvard built on their lead in the second quarter, out-scoring the Minutewomen 23-19 and scoring 80% from three. With ten threes in the first half, the Crimson were on pace to double their season-high in three point baskets and went into the locker with an eight-point lead, 51-43.
Elena Rodriguez and Turner joined Forbes and Mullaney in double digits in the third quarter, a ten minute back and fourth that resulted in the Minutewomen cutting into the Crimson's lead. Harvard out-rebounded UMass through the third 12-10 and held on to a 69-64 lead at the end of the quarter.
Mullaney tied her career high in threes early in the fourth quarter, hitting her seventh after Maggie McCarthy hit her first. The Minutewomen gained on the Crimson throughout the quarter to tie it up at 80 with just under three minutes to go. UMass then took an 84-82 lead, which was evened up by a layup from Rodriguez. Free throws brought the score to 88-85, Crimson with 22 seconds to go. In the final seconds, UMass scored a basket and Turner added a point off a foul to bring the final to 89-87, Harvard.
Harvard Highlights
- For the second game in a row, the Crimson had two players score 20+ points. The team was led by Forbes, who scored 24 shooting 8-for-14 from the field. She was followed by Mullaney, who scored 22 points, all of which came from three or the foul line off a three.
- Mullaney tied her career high in three point baskets, making seven for the first time since Jan. 2022.
- Turner scored a double-double with 11 assists and 15 points just three days after she posted her first ever triple-double.
- Following Turner's 11 assists, Forbes and Rodriguez passed off six each.
- Following Turner's eight rebounds, McCarthy and Rodriguez pulled down six each.
- With today's win over UMass, Harvard has cut into UMass' all-time series lead as the record now stands at 14-10. Through the 2022-23 season, the series ends 1-1 after UMass' regular season win and Harvard's WNIT win.
- The Crimson will move on to the third round of the WNIT for the first time in tournament history with this being the first time in Harvard history that the Crimson have moved to the round of sixteen in any postseason tournament.
Up Next
The Crimson will play host to Rhode Island in the third round of the WNIT on Thursday, March 23 at 7 p.m. The game will air on ESPN3.
