HANOVER, N.H. – Harvard women's basketball (8-6, 1-0 Ivy) won its Ivy League opener for the fourth straight season, defeating Dartmouth (9-5, 0-1 Ivy) this afternoon, 72-47.
A total team effort that saw 11 different Harvard players record points lifted the Crimson over the league's top-scoring defense.
Abigail Wright paced the Crimson's offense with 14 points and
Olivia Jones added a career-best 11 points as Harvard put up 72, marking the second-most points allowed this season by the Big Green.
How it Happened
It was a slow offensive start for either side as Harvard held onto a slim 6-4 lead five minutes in. Back-to-back threes from
Alayna Rocco and
Olivia Jones then ignited the Crimson and forced a Dartmouth timeout. The Big Green later pulled within four but with the final two buckets of the quarter, Harvard led 20-11.
While the Big Green battled in the second frame, Harvard never allowed its advantage to fall below nine. A five-point swing courtesy of a
Nina Emnace jumper and a
Aubrey Shaw triple swung the momentum completely in Harvard's favor heading into the locker room.
Harvard used the third quarter to completely pull away from Dartmouth, outscoring the foe 24-10. The Crimson opened the quarter with a 10-2 run, doubling up the Big Green at 46-23. Harvard's defense held Dartmouth to a game-low 20% shooting in the frame to lead 60-31.
While Dartmouth had its best shooting stretch in the final quarter, it was not enough to forge a comeback against the Crimson's lead. Ultimately, the Crimson closed the contest with a big 72-47 victory to move to 1-0 in conference action.
Harvard Highlights
- Harvard remains undefeated in Ivy League openers under Carrie Moore, having won four straight.
- The Crimson put up 72 points on a Dartmouth defense that entered the game as the best scoring defense in the conference. It is the second-most points the Big Green has given up this season. Conversely, Harvard held the Big Green to its third-lowest scoring output of the year.
- 11 different Harvard players recorded points on the stat sheet this afternoon, including four players scoring nine or more.
- Abigail Wright paced the Crimson's offense with 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting. The junior was also a rebound shy of a double-double, including grabbing five offensive boards.
- Olivia Jones tied her career-high with 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting. The first-year also tallied five boards, four assists, a block, and a steal against the Big Green.
- Mary Hollensteiner provided strong minutes off the bench, contributing seven points and four boards.
- Harvard, who leads the league in offensive rebounding, continued to attack the glass, grabbing 20 offensive boards over the Big Green. Overall, the Crimson won the rebounding battle, 45-31.
- With the win, Harvard improves to 60-36 all-time against Dartmouth including having won the last 10 meetings.
Next Up
Harvard will return home to face Columbia (9-5, 0-1 Ivy) in a rematch of the Ivy League Tournament Championship on Saturday, January 10. Tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m. ET inside Lavietes Pavilion and on ESPN+.
