CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – A second half push helped Harvard women's basketball (20-3, 9-2 Ivy) slip past Brown (10-14, 4-7 Ivy), 60-57 and clinch its spot in the 2025 Ivy League Tournament this afternoon.
The Crimson were led by another pair of strong performances from its senior duo of
Harmoni Turner and
Elena Rodriguez, including the two teaming up for the go-ahead bucket with 21 seconds remaining.
How it Happened
With the Crimson struggling on the offensive end to open the contest and the Bears conversely shooting the ball at 50%, Brown was able to pull ahead by four in the first quarter. The Bears created its separation early, going up 7-2 at the 6:50 mark. Harvard would go on to take a pair of leads in the frame but Brown used a late quarter 5-0 run to hold a 17-13 advantage.
Brown carried its momentum into the second stanza, holding the Crimson scoreless through the first five minutes to lead by as many as 12. Harvard regrouped to lessen the lead back to two possessions but could not fully overtake the Bears, continuing to trail 31-27 heading into the locker room.
After the Bears grew its lead back out to double figures in the first three minutes of the second half, Harvard began its comeback with a 13-1 run. The Crimson ultimately reversed the deficit, leading the Bears 47-43 after three. Harvard received contributions from four different scorers in the run including eight from
Harmoni Turner to help lift herself into third all-time in program history in career points.
Two early quarter baskets from
Elena Rodriguez and
Abigail Wright helped the Crimson extend its lead to 51-43. The Bears however, never went away, closing in on Harvard with three and a half minutes remaining in the contest. Two free throws gave Brown the lead back at 57-56 but they would be the last points for the Bears. Turner and Rodriguez connected with 21 seconds remaining to put Harvard in front and a big defensive stand on the other end allowed the Crimson to get back possession and ice the game with free throws.
Harvard Highlights
- The Crimson have now totaled 20 wins on the year, marking the 14th 20-win season in program history and the second of three years with Carrie Moore, The Kathy Delaney-Smith Head Coach for Harvard Women's Basketball, at the helm.
- The victory solidified the Crimson's spot in Ivy Madness which will be held on March 14 and 15 in Providence, RI. The top seed is still up for grabs as the Crimson are currently in second alongside Princeton with a 9-2 record, trailing only Columbia (10-1).
- Harmoni Turner recorded a 20-plus-point performance for the seventh straight game, tallying 23 points on 8-of-17 shooting while also adding a team-high in rebounds (7), assists (5), and steals (3).
- In the contest, Turner moved into third all-time in points in Harvard women's basketball history, passing Reka Cserny '05 with 1,868 points and counting.
- Elena Rodriguez added 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting, including recording the go-ahead basket with 21 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. The senior also added six rebounds and a pair of blocks.
- Alayna Rocco hit three important triples throughout the game to flirt with double figures.
- Abigail Wright had another all-around performance, adding eight points on 50% shooting (4-of-8), five rebounds, and two assists.
- The Crimson have now won 19 straight meetings against the Bears, increasing its lead in the all-time series to 63-34.
Next Up
The Crimson will host the final back-to-back weekend of the season as it welcomes Princeton (Feb. 28, 8:00 p.m.) and Penn (Mar. 1, 7:00 p.m.) to Lavietes Pavilion.
