Hoop Squads Split With St. Anselm's

Following a St. Anselm's defensive switch in the closing stages of yesterday's women's basketball contest, the Crimson squad had to readjust quickly to protect a slight lead. As it turned out, though, the team had to readjust too quickly--the game ended with the Hawks up, 63-57.

Thanks to three straight Nancy Boutillier right-side jumpers, the Crimson had pulled in front with a 48-43 lead with about five minutes to play. But St. Anselm's then switched to a very spread-out 2-1-2 defense, stop-gapping Boutillier's favorite spot. Desperately in search of other areas of penetration, Harvard failed to break throug the St. Anselm's defense in time.

So Far, So Good

Up until then, though, things seemed to be going well for the hoopsters. Excellent rebounding, especially by Elaine Holpuch, who totalled 18 for the game, kept the Crimson dominating play for most of the first half. A tenacious defense, as epitomized by Patty Horne, continually snatched the St. Anselm's chances away in several crucial situations.

Despite heavy pressure on St. Anselm's and consistent ball control, the Crimson couldn't launch an effective scoring barrage until Boutillier's flurry. "We just were not shooting well," coach Carole Kleinfelder said. "And they came in fighting."

Long Shots

While St. Anselm's was fighting, Harvard was playing very consistent basketball. Margot Long was hitting from outside on her way to a ten-point game total. Rose Guarino scored eight points every early in the game. And Holpuch kept hitting--she ended the game with 19 points. However, when the Hawks decided to shut off Long and Boutillier with the 2-1-2, the Crimson just couldn't readjust.

Slow Down

St. Anselm's wasn't just aggessive, it was fast. "They shut off our fast break pretty effectively," Home said. Kate Martin, Harvard's personification of the fast break, was shut down just about completely.