ITHACA, N.Y. – Harvard women's basketball (18-3, 7-2 Ivy) put on a defensive clinic this evening in Ithaca, New York to blow past Cornell (6-16, 2-7 Ivy), 66-29.
The Crimson was led by another double-digit takeaway output from its defense, strong three-point shooting, and a pair of strong scoring performances from its seniors,
Harmoni Turner and
Elena Rodriguez.
How it Happened
Harvard cemented itself as the aggressor straight out of the gate, rattling off the first eight points of the contest in just a minute and a half of play. The Crimson continued to grow its lead as it held the Big Red to just one field goal through nearly eight minutes. Despite connecting on a pair of buckets as the quarter ran down, Harvard maintained a significant 18-7 lead.
Even with a lower-scoring output in the second quarter, the visiting team's relentless defense allowed just five points and held the Big Red to 0-of-12 shooting. While locking down Cornell, the Crimson were able to head into the locker room with a 29-12 advantage.
Harvard showed no signs of slowing down in the second half, maintaining its pressure to build its lead out even further. A sequence of three consecutive steals by the Crimson press gave the team its largest lead of the contests so far at 43-14. Ultimately, Harvard continued to build on that advantage as it was up 38 before the last 10 minutes.
The final quarter marked the third frame of the contest that Harvard held the Big Red to single digit scoring. With no drop in play from Harvard throughout the final ten minutes, the team concluded the contest with a 66-29 victory.
Harvard Highlights
- Harmoni Turner led all scorers with her fifth straight 20+ point performance, contributing 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting.
- Elena Rodriguez, who is the program's leader in field goal percentage, added 18 points on 75% (6-of-8) shooting from the field.
- Katie Krupa flirted with double figures, recording nine points while also creating for her teammates with four assists.
- Karlee White provided strong minutes for the Crimson, adding six points and dishing out a team-best five assists. The sophomore also pulled down three boards and recorded a steal in the contest.
- Gabby Anderson was persistent on the defensive end and on the glass, collecting a team-high in both steals and rebounds with three and six, respectively.
- The Crimson surpassed double digit three-pointers, connecting for 11 on 40.7% shooting.
- Led by White's five assists, the Crimson assisted on 15 of its 24 made field goals against the Big Red.
- Harvard won the rebounding battle for the 15th time this season, improving to 14-1 when grabbing more boards than its opponents. Tonight, Harvard collected 34 rebounds to Cornell's 29.
- The Crimson defense recorded double-digit steals for the 12th time this season, registering 12 takeaways while also forcing 24 total Big Red turnovers. In opposition, Harvard kept its turnover total in single digits for the eighth time this year.
- With the win, the Crimson improved to 77-13 all-time against the Big Red, including having won the last seven meetings.
Next Up
The Crimson will close the weekend with a nationally televised showdown with Columbia on Sunday, February 16. Tip-off is set for 12:00 p.m. ET inside Levien Gymnasium and on ESPNU.
