CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard women's basketball pulled off its second upset in as many days by defeating the top seeded Columbia Lions, 74-71, to claim the Ivy Madness title. With the championship win, the Crimson punched its ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time in program history and the first time since 2007.
Harvard received contributions from all down its lineup as eight different players added points to the box score.
Harmoni Turner tallied another show-stopping performance with 24 points, four assists, and three steals. Following two standout performances, the senior was named Most Outstanding Player for the 2025 Ivy League Tournament.
Elena Rodriguez (13) and
Karlee White (12) each filled up the stat sheet including joining Turner in double figures.
How it Happened
Turner got to work instantly, tallying the first two Crimson buckets of the contest. Following a 4-2 Harvard lead the Lions erupted on an 11-2 run. Harvard didn't allow Columbia's run to alter its plan of attacking, countering with a 7-0 quarter ending run to lead 19-18 after ten minutes.
The contest was a back-and-forth affair as the two teams traded buckets and sat at even in the opening moments of the second frame. A Turner triple and a White steal and score on consecutive possessions put the Crimson back in front at 31-26 at the 5:47 mark. Less than a minute later, first-year
Alayna Rocco sunk a three to extend Harvard's run and lead to eight. The Lions, however, never went away, connecting on a three with five seconds remaining to cut its deficit to two heading into the locker room. A high-scoring second frame from either team established the game at 44-42 with 20 minutes to play.
Harvard refused to take its foot off the gas, opening the second half with the first five points to build its distance back out. With a triple at the 7:38 mark,
Harmoni Turner became the third player in Harvard women's basketball history to surpass 2,000 career points. With Harvard leading 57-49 at the 3:55 mark, Columbia began to make its run, scoring eight straight points to even the contest. Harvard, however, was able to swing the momentum back in its favor and have a 59-57 lead entering the fourth frame following a Rocco layup in the final minute.
While the Lions never stopped battling in the contest and even tied it up with 3:19 remaining on the clock, the Crimson seemed to never relinquish control of the momentum. After two free throws from
Abigail Wright put Harvard back in front with less than three minutes remaining, Harvard would never again give up the lead. Crucial free throw shooting and defensive stands sealed the contest for the Crimson. White capped off a career night by grabbing the rebound on Columbia's final shot attempt of the night. Harvard ultimately claimed its first Ivy League Tournament championship with a 74-71 final decision.
Harvard History
- Despite claiming 11 Ivy League regular season championships in its program's history, the win tonight is its first-ever Ivy League Tournament title.
- Harvard has punched its ticket to the big dance, marking its seventh ever appearance and first in 18 years.
- The Crimson hold the only three upsets by seed in Ivy Madness history, two of which came this weekend as it took down the top two seeds in Columbia and Princeton.
- With the tournaments lack of upsets, Harvard is also the first non-one seed to ever win Ivy Madness.
- The 2024-25 team now holds the record for single season wins in Harvard women's basketball history, besting a previous high of 23 set by the historic 1997-98 team.
Harvard Highlights
- Harmoni Turner led all scorers with 24 points while also adding four assists, and three steals. The senior pair of stellar performances this weekend helped her earn the tournament's Most Outstanding Player award.
- Elena Rodriguez flirted with a double-double by tallying 13 points and dishing out a career-high nine assists. Rodriguez joined Turner on the Ivy Madness All-Tournament team.
- Karlee White had a career day as she provided a crucial all-around performance for the Crimson. The sophomore guard recorded a career-best 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting while also adding five rebounds, two steals, and a block.
- Abigail Wright and Alayna Rocco each added eight points as eight total Crimson contributed baskets to the box score. Wright also grabbed seven boards to round out a stellar weekend.
- The Crimson received an impressive 31 points from its bench this afternoon as players all down the lineup stepped up.
- Harvard dominated the paint, recording 40 points as opposed to Columbia's 24.
- As a team the Crimson shot nearly 50% from the field. Harvard shared the ball consistently, totaling its second highest assist total of the season with 18.
- Harvard controlled the ball on the offensive end, turning it over just eight times to mark the 10th game with single-digit miscues this season.
Next Up
The Crimson will await its matchup in the NCAA Tournament that is to be selected on Selection Sunday beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET on March 16.
