CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard women's basketball (3-1, 0-0 Ivy) gave Boston College (3-1, 0-0 ACC) its first loss of the season, dropping the crosstown rival, 78-70, for the third straight year.
The Crimson were led by a historic night from senior guard
Harmoni Turner who broke the program record for single-game scoring with a 41-point and 10 rebound double-double performance. The record of 39, previously held by Allison Feaster and Hana Peljto, was bested by Turner on the exclamation bucket as the clock ran out in Lavietes Pavilion.
How it Happened
The Eagles broke ahead to open the contest, using the first two and a half minutes to create an 8-2 advantage. Harvard responded with a 10-0 with contributions from four different Crimson players. The home squad used the remaining five minutes of the first frame to continue to grow its lead, holding a 27-14 lead at the conclusion of 10 minutes. Turner got started early, recording 15 points in the opening quarter on the back of four made triples.
Boston College used the second stanza to claw back into the contest, collecting the first seven points to bring the game within two possessions. Despite the quarter being its worst shooting performance of the night, with every other frame being over 50% from the field, the Eagles were able to pull within four headed into the locker room.
The second half proved to be a back-and-forth battle beginning with
Elena Rodriguez opening the third quarter with a bucket and then the Crimson not being able to bring its lead to larger than five for the remainder of the frame. An Eagle layup at the 5:40 mark gave the foes their first lead since the opening minutes, but Turner quickly answered to put Harvard back in front. Despite Harvard holding the lead for nearly the remainder of the quarter, a late Crimson foul allowed Boston College to even the score at 56-all.
The final frame saw three ties and the Eagles holding several leads up until the under three-minute mark. With 2:35 remaining on the clock,
Katie Krupa connected at the rim off of a Turner assist to give Harvard a lead that it would never again relinquish.
Alayna Rocco followed to grow the Crimson lead, hitting yet another clutch triple. A bucket at 1:18 marked the final points for the Eagles as Harvard strung together defensive stands and made free throws down the stretch to solidify the victory. The night was capped with a record-breaking buzzer-beater as Turner streaked down the court to record her 41
st point of the night as the clock hit zero, finalizing the score at 78-70.
Harvard Highlights
- With the victory, the Crimson picks up its second Power Five win of the season and drop its crosstown rival, Boston College, for the third straight season. Harvard now takes hold of the all-time series, leading 11-10.
- Harmoni Turner set a new program record for points scored in a single-game, registering a career-high 41 points on 14-of-23 shooting from the field and 7-of-11 from distance. The senior 40-point spree was joined by 10 rebounds, three assists, and a block.
- As Turner came alive from distance; her seven made threes against the Eagles cruised past her previous career-high of four.
- First-year Alayna Rocco also contributed double-digit scoring, adding 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc. The Pittsburgh, Pa. native also added five rebounds and a steal in the win.
- Katie Krupa supplied strong minutes, adding seven crucial points and a pair of momentum-shifting charges.
- As a team the Crimson provided its strongest shooting of the season, going 49.1% (27-of-55) from the field and 50% (13-of-26) from deep.
Next Up
The Crimson will return to the road this weekend to face University of Maine on Sunday, November 17. Tip-off is set for 12:00 p.m. ET in Orono, Maine and on ESPN+.
