Women Cagers Tally Year's Third Win

Victory is sweetest when it is tasted in frequently.

Overcoming a 34-28 halftime Harvard women's basketball Princeton, 67-61. Saturday night at Briggs Athletic Center.

It was the squad's third victory of the year.

And it felt great.

"It feels 200 percent better than losing," said freshman Ann Geiger. "We played confidently tonight. We played like a winning team."

And the 3-18 cagers won in grand style mounting a second half rally as they eluded and more experienced Tiger defense.

The Crimson-plagued all season by inexperience as seven spots on its 12-man are filled by freshmen--demonstrated in the face of the six-point deficit by forcing the Tigers to commit a rash of personal fouls and turnovers that eventually gave Harvard the game.

"In the past, when it was right down to the pressure and tension of winning, we didn't have the experience," Crimson Coach Kathy Delaney Smith said of the squad's yardlings.

"Saturday night, they were playing old," senior Co-Captain Nancy Boutilier said. "That is not an easy thing to do."

Getting past the Tigers,' zone defense wasn't an easy thing to do either, but Harvard capitalized on its good outside shooting and junior Wendy Joseph's uncanny ability to score from beneath the basket during the second half.

"She was unbelievable," Delaney Smith said of the six-foot--forward's game-leading 27-point, 10-rebound performance.

By getting the ball to their big gun, the Harvard guard corps turned in a solid performance and demonstrated some promising depth as it chalked up several snazzy assists. What sophomore Anne Kelly had started, freshman Gia Barresi finished off. They manage to slow down the Harvard offense in the second stanza to avoid a fast break-induced fatigue which has troubled the team.

Baressi "did an absolutely phenomenal job--she was a big spark for us," the exuberant Crimson coach said.

"I'd like to just finish off the season this way," Boutilier added

The triumph proved to be an encouraging way to finish off an otherwise depressing weekend Harvard came out on the short end of a disappointing 59-57 come-from-behind Penn victory Friday night, and the hoopsters opened sloppily on Saturday. Although Princeton committed 30 turnovers. Harvard still looked a bit rag-bag as it coughed up the bell 21 times.

Whether or not the last four games of the season result in Crimson victories.--Delaney Smith expects the squad to do "nicely" Harvard can look forward to next season with an increased sense of optimism. The Crimson coach and Boutilier agree that Harvard is one of the most enthusiastic teams around. What has been missing this year is, largely, experience.

And next year, the squad will have that in abundance, thanks to Delany Smith's practice of substituting freely and giving the freshmen much-needed playing time.

"The freshmen have passed the freshman stage," Geiger said.

And despite their record, for the moment at least, the Harvard women's basketball team appears to have passed the stage where it walks on the court expecting to lose.

At Briggs Athletic Center

HARVARD (67)--Nancy Boutiller 3-4-10; Anne Kelly 2-1-5; Wendy Joseph 10-7-27; Anna Collins 2-1-5; Val Jordan 2-0-4; Ann Geiger 4-0-8; Gla Barresi 2-2-4; Regina Shasha 1-0--2. Kelly McBride 0-0--0. Erin Sugrue 0-0--0 Totals 26-15--47

PRINCETON (61)--Karen Konigsberg 0-2-2; Lis Lester 1-1-3; Lois Hatzenbeller 2-0-4; Margaret Nilemann 3-5-11; Sarah Tantillo 0-0-0; Kate Delhagen 9-1-19; DeVoe 6-2-14; Lisa Greenberg 4-0-8; Totals 25-11-61;

Halftime P. 34-28