CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard women's basketball (6-6) fell to Maine (5-8), 59-57, this afternoon following a putback buzzer beater from the Black Bears' Adrianna Smith.
In the loss,
Abigail Wright led all scorers with her second straight 22-point outing. The junior captain also contributed a team-best nine boards and two steals in the contest.
How it Happened
Beginning at the opening tip, the game was a back-and-forth affair. Throughout the entire contest there were 10 ties, 15 lead changes, and no team held a lead larger than six. That largest lead, however, came straight out of the gate as the Crimson scored the first six points. The Black Bears settled in but Harvard controlled the lead for the entirety of the quarter, leading 13-10 after 10 minutes.
Maine then jumped in front as they notched seven straight points to open the frame. The Crimson responded out of a timeout with its own 8-0 run. Ultimately, the frame was knotted at 18-all to help the Crimson maintain its three-point lead heading into the locker room.
There were six lead changes in the third quarter alone as either team struggled to gain any significant momentum. The Black Bears outscored the Crimson 13-11 in the quarter, but Harvard continued to lead, holding a one-point advantage entering the final frame.
Harvard led as late as the 2:38 mark in the fourth quarter following a Wright layup that put the Crimson up 56-53. The Black Bears responded with a triple on the other end to tie the game and a free throw followed with 43 seconds remaining to put Maine in front. A strong drive put Wright at the free throw line where the junior captain went on to tie the contest at 57-all. With the final possession, the Crimson defended tightly but Smith corralled the missed attempt and laid in a buzzer beater to win the game for Maine.
Harvard Highlights
- For the second straight game and the fourth total time this season, Abigail Wright tallied over 20 points. The Massachusetts native entered the contest as the 10th-best offensive rebounder in the nation continued to attack the glass, collecting seven of her nine rebounds on the offensive boards.
- Saniyah Glenn-Bello continues to stuff the stat sheet, today adding 12 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and four blocks. The senior has now surpassed double-digit scoring in each of the last eight games after having not done so in the first four contests.
- Karlee White returned to action for the first time since November 19 when she suffered a leg injury against Boston College. The junior tallied six points, four boards, an assist, and two steals in the contest.
- Harvard won the rebounding battle 43-30 with the help of a season-high 21 offensive boards.
- The Crimson recorded a season-low 11 turnovers and conversely forced 15 miscues while registering nine steals.
Next Up
Harvard will conclude its non-conference campaign following the weeklong holiday break as it welcomes the Delaware Blue Hens to Cambridge. Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m. ET at Lavietes Pavilion and on ESPN+ on Monday, December 29.
