RALEIGH, N.C. – Harvard women's basketball ends an incredible 2024-25 campaign in the NCAA Tournament First Round, as the No. 10 seed Crimson fell against the No. 7 seed Michigan State, 64-50.

One of the greatest to ever don the Harvard jersey, senior guard Harmoni Turner tallied a game-high 24 points in her final contest with the Crimson, adding four assists and six rebounds. Fellow teammate Elena Rodriguez added eight points on the offensive end, as she also distrusted a team-high five assists.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
Across the first five minutes of the NCAA Tournament meeting between Harvard (24-5, 11-3 Ivy League) and Michigan State (22-9, 11-7 Big Ten), the Spartans controlled the scoreline, taking the early lead with the first 11 points of the contest.

Harvard rallied in the latter half of the first quarter, going on a 11-2 run to end the first quarter withing striking distance of Michigan State. Turner accounted for six points, all of them arriving from the free throw line, as sophomore forward Abigail Wright added five points on two field goals and a free-throw.

With the first ten minutes in the books, Michigan State owned the lead, 15-11. The Crimson held the Spartans in check from the field, as Michigan State ended the frame with a 33.3% shooting percentage.

Both sides excelled defensively in the second quarter, as neither team tallied double digit points in the frame. With around seven minutes left in the first half, Harvard orchestrated a key moment on the defensive end, as Rodriguez denied Michigan State's Julia Ayrault at the rim with a block.

Turner continued to pace the Crimson on the offensive end, scoring six points in the second. An AP All-America Honorable Mention selection, Turner ended the first half with 12 points, the only student-athlete in the game to hit double digits. The Spartans led at the half, 19-24, as the Crimson held them to only eight makes on 24 attempts from the field.

The second half opened with Harvard on the front foot, as the Crimson's full court press caused problems for Michigan State. Within two minutes, Harvard pulled within one of the Spartans with back-to-back layups from Turner and Rodriguez. From there, Michigan State rebuilt its advantage, going on a 11-0 run to hold a 37-25 lead with 5:08 left in the quarter.

As they've done all season, Harvard continued to battle. A layup from Wright and a three from sophomore guard Karlee White pulled within single-digits again with 4:01 left on the clock. Turner accounted for the Crimson's last five points of the frame, as Michigan State led 45-35 heading into the fourth quarter at the Lenovo Center.

Harvard battled and continued to compete until the final whistle, as Michigan State held on to secure the win, 64-50.

HARVARD HIGHLIGHTS:

• Turner led all scorers in the contest with 24 points.
• A native of Mansfield, Texas, Turner ended her legendary Crimson career with 2,032 points, a mark that ranks third all-time in school history.
• Despite the loss, Harvard held the Spartans to its second lowest scoring output of the season with 64 points.  Additionally, it forced 23 Spartans' turnovers to mark the foes second highest turnover total of 2024-25.  
• Harvard ends the 2024-25 season with 24 wins, the program record for most wins in a single-season.