CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard women's basketball (16-9, 9-3 Ivy) defeated Penn (15-10, 5-7 Ivy), 60-46, to sweep the Quakers for the second consecutive year and clinch its five-straight appearance in the Ivy League Tournament.
The Crimson had four players reach double figures led by
Abigail Wright with a 14-point and 10-rebound double-double.
Saniyah Glenn-Bello (12),
Olivia Jones (11), and
Karlee White (10) each joined Wright in double-digit scoring.
How it Happened
Flipping the script of its previous matchup, the Crimson got off to a hot start as its defense help propel Harvard to a 10-0 lead in the first four minutes. After three games away,
Saniyah Glenn-Bello settled back in quickly, forcing a Quakers timeout after back-to-back corner threes. The Crimson gave up its first field goal at the 3:56 mark and only let up two total in the quarter to lead 17-6.
Despite the Quakers finding more of an offensive groove, Harvard shot 58.3% from the field to maintain a double-digit lead throughout the second frame. The Crimson led by as many as 18 but with the help of a Penn buzzer-beater Harvard's lead dwindled to 32-20 at the break.
Straight out of the locker room, Penn continued to chip into the deficit. A 12-4 run to open the second half had the Crimson up just one possession at the 5:41 mark in the third quarter. The Quakers continued to push and got within one point but were never able to overtake the lead. Ignited by an
Alayna Rocco three, the Crimson went on a 10-0 run in the final three minutes of the frame to regain a double-digit advantage.
Olivia Jones helped lead the way for the Crimson in the third, tallying nine points on a perfect 3-for-3 shooting.
The quarter-ending swing gave Harvard back all the momentum in the game as the Quakers never again made a significant push for the lead. By outscoring Penn 10-7 in the final frame, the Crimson secured the 60-46 victory.
Harvard Highlights
- With the win, the Crimson clinched its spot in the 2026 Ivy League Tournament in Ithaca, N.Y. This is the fifth straight year that Harvard has competed in Ivy Madness and will look to win its second consecutive title.
- Harvard has now swept the Quakers in consecutive years after previously having not swept Penn since 2011-12.
- The Crimson had a balanced scoring attack with four players reaching double figures. Abigail Wright led the way with 14 points followed by Saniyah Glenn-Bello with 12, Olivia Jones with 11, and Karlee White rounding out the quartet with 10 points.
- Wright also tallied her third double-double of the season with a team-high 10 rebounds.
- In her first game back from injury, Glenn-Bello tallied 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting from three.
- Jones had an all-around performance with 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting, six boards, and a team-best three steals.
- White's double-figure outing marks her 11th-consecutive game with 10+ points.
- Harvard's defense forced 21 turnovers and recorded 13 steals and five blocks in the contest.
Next Up
The Crimson will play its final regular season home game tomorrow evening as it welcomes Princeton at 6:00 p.m. ET.
