NEW YORK, N.Y. – Fueled by a 29-point third quarter and 24 points from
Karlee White, Harvard women's basketball (17-10, 10-4 Ivy) came back from 16 down to defeat Columbia (20-7, 11-3 Ivy), 68-64, on their home floor in the regular season finale.
After just four points in the first half, White exploded for 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting to end with 24 points (8-of-17 FG, 1-of-2 3-PT, 7-of-8 FT), nine rebounds, four steals, three assists, and a block.
How it Happened
Behind the energy of a sold-out Levien Gymnasium, the Lions ran out to an 8-0 lead in the first three minutes of the contest. The Crimson responded out of the media timeout with its own 8-2 run. Harvard would be held scoreless in the final 2:40 of the quarter, however, to trail 14-8 after 10 minutes.
The Crimson struggled to cut into the deficit in the second quarter as the Lions shot 53.8% from the field for 21 points. A three from
Olivia Jones to open the frame put Harvard within a possession but the Lions went on to build and maintain a double-digit lead in the remainder of the quarter.
Similar to the first meeting, Harvard used a dominant third quarter to eliminate Columbia's large lead. Out of the break, the Lions were able to reach their largest lead of the game at 16 before Harvard's offense came to life. A 12-2 run that spanned 2:43 and featured five Harvard scorers put the Crimson within two possessions at 45-39. Then in the final three minutes of the frame Harvard outscored the Lions 12-6 including a last-second layup from Jones to tie the game at 51-all heading into the final frame.
After a scoreless two and a half minutes at the start of the quarter,
Katie Krupa delivered two free throws to give the Crimson its first lead of the contest. The Lions responded with back-to-back buckets to retake the lead, but Harvard soon after halted the momentum. A 6-0 run swung the energy back to the Crimson and gave it a lead it would never again relinquish. Strong defensive stands and clutch free throws down the stretch solidified Harvard's second consecutive win in New York.
Harvard Highlights
- With the win, the Crimson improves to 10-4 in league play marking its second consecutive year with double-digit conference wins. It is the first time in over a decade that Harvard has surpassed 10 Ivy wins in back-to-back seasons.
- Karlee White continues to shine for the Crimson, today tallying a team-high in points (24), rebounds (nine), and steals (four). After struggling in the first half, White fueled Harvard's comeback with 20 second half points on 7-of-9 shooting.
- Olivia Jones rose to the occasion this evening with 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting, three rebounds, three steals, and two assists. The first-year, who leads the league in assist/turnover ratio, committed zero turnovers against the Lions' pressure.
- Saniyah Glenn-Bello added 12 points, a block, and two steals and had the team's best plus/minus at +13.
- Katie Krupa added solid minutes with eight points, two rebounds, a block, two steals, and a team-high four assists.
- Harvard shot over 60% from the field and forced 15 turnovers in the second half to help secure its largest comeback win since 2023.
- The Crimson's defense forced 23 Lions turnovers, its third-highest turnover total this season. Harvard capitalized for 19 points off Columbia's miscues.
- With the win, the Crimson locked up the three-seed in the Ivy League Tournament and will face off against the Lions again in less than a week.
- Harvard now leads 68-16 in the all-time series and has won three of the last four meetings.
Next Up
The Crimson and the Lions will meet again in less than a week in the semifinals of the 2026 Ivy League Tournament. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, March 13 at Newman Arena and broadcast on ESPN+. It will be the 13
th meeting in the last four years between the two teams.
