CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard women's basketball (15-2, 4-1 Ivy) will welcome Columbia (14-4, 5-0 Ivy) and Cornell (4-14, 0-5 Ivy) to Cambridge this weekend as it hosts the first Ivy League back-to-back of the season inside Lavietes Pavilion. 

The Crimson will first clash with the Lions to open the weekend on Friday in what will be a battle of the league's top scoring defense in Harvard and top scoring defense in Columbia.  The matchup between the two current top teams in conference is set for 7:00 p.m. ET at Lavietes Pavilion and on EPSNU.  Harvard will then wrap up its weekend and celebrate black history as it hosts the Cornell Big Red on Saturday at 5:00 p.m.  ET. 

What to Know

• The Crimson opened its 2024-25 season with 12 non-conference contests before starting its annual 14-game Ivy League slate in January. 
• Harvard played five of its 12 out-of-conference matchups inside Lavietes Pavilion, having started on opening night with UMass-Amherst and followed by Boston College and Northeastern. The Crimson only two December games closed out its home non-conference slate.  Harvard faced URI and then officially concluded its non-conference schedule with a 60-point win over BU and the cancellation of its contest versus Delaware.    
• For just the third time in program history, the Crimson have started its season 15-2.  Harvard's start is only matched by the 1997-98 and 2016-17 teams.    
• Three of the Crimson non-conference victories came against Power Four opponents, beating No. 25 Indiana, Boston College, and Northwestern in consecutive weeks. 
• Harvard picked up its first Ivy win of the season and improved its win streak to 10 as it downed Yale, 61-43. 
• Most recently, the Crimson improved to 4-1 in conference play as it cruised past Yale to close out the first month of the conference season.  Harvard put up its second largest win of the season, dropping the Bulldogs by 56 points.      
• For the 11^th time this season and in program history and for the 10^th straight week, Harvard is receiving votes in the most recent AP Top 25 poll.  The Crimson continues to rise as it received its most votes yet with 10 in week 10 of the poll.    
• In the first NET Rankings of the season Harvard checking in at No. 36.  The ranking marked the current highest in the Ivy League and the highest in program history, topping its previous best of 58 from last season.  Since then, the Crimson has continued to rise, reaching as high as No. 32. 
• After its first 17 contests, the Crimson ranks fourth in free throw percentage (80.9%), fifth in turnover margin (10.0), 11^th in three point percentage defense (24.9%), 13^th in turnovers per game (12.3), 17^th in turnovers forced per game (22.3), 19^th in steals per game (11.9), and 21^st in scoring margin (20.3).  As a whole, the Crimson ranks as the top scoring defense in the country, holding opponents to an average of 50.9 points per game.   
• The Crimson has cemented itself as a title contender in the Ivy League with its 15-2 start.  Within the league Harvard ranks first in scoring defense (50.9), scoring margin (20.3), opponent field goal percentage (37.1%), opponent three-point field goal percentage (24.9%), turnover margin (10.0), and steals (11.9).  Additionally, it ranks second in scoring offense (71.2) and offensive rebounds (13.2). 
• Harmoni Turner currently ranks 10^th in points per game (21.2), nationally.  Additionally, on the defensive end the senior ranks fifth in steals per game with 3.4 per game and 20^th in total steals with 57. 
• The Crimson has three players inside the top four of steals in the Ivy League, led by Turner with the most in the conference with 3.4 per game and followed by Elena Rodriguez and Gabby Anderson following tied for fourth by averaging 1.8 steals per game each. 
• After leading her team to a historic start, Carrie Moore was one of 10 coaches named to the 2025 Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Midseason Watch List. 
• Ahead of the 2024-25 season, Katie Krupa was elected as team captain by her teammates. 
• The Crimson holds a dominant 65-14 lead in the all-time series versus the Lions.  Despite the lead, Harvard is looking to snap a four game drought against Columbia.
• Including having won the last five matches, the Crimson leads 75-13 in the all-time series versus the Big Red.  

Next Up

Harvard will host its final of four straight home games next weekend as it welcomes Dartmouth to Lavietes Pavilion for its alumnae weekend, annual pride game and youth game.  The Crimson will welcome the Big Green on Saturday, February 8 at 4:00 p.m. inside Lavietes Pavilion and ESPN+.