Women Cagers Vacation in the Big Apple; Hofstra and Iona Prove Less Than Hospitable

While the Harvard women's basketball team doesn't have ruby slippers or lots of short friends, it does agree with Dorothy on one subject: "There's no place like home."

The Crimson (now 6-5 overall) took its show on the road over winter break for back-to-back road games at Hofstra and lona, and came up empty. The hoopsters have now lost all four of their away contests.

The double-header debacle started December 22 at Hempstead, N.Y., against previously witness Hofstra.

Harvard played poorly throughout the contest, but managed to hold a one-point lead with 12 seconds left.

Then the Crimson turned from bad to worse.

The cagers missed the front ends of two one-and-one free-throw opportunities and threw away an inbounds pass. The hosts had only a few seconds to launch a final-desperate beave.

The Ending

Unfortunately for the Crimson, the 25-footer swished through the not, Final score: Hofstra 55, Harvard 54.

Harvard Coach Kathy Delaney Smith, less than pleased with her team's performance, said, "It was our most disappointing loss--we played very, very poorly."

The only bright spot for the cagers was the play, off the bench, of freshman Beth Chandler, who led the team with 14 points and seven rebounds.

If Harvard's first loss was a study in incompetence, its second, a day later, was a study in frustration.

Facing a strong lona team (now 7-2), the visiting Crimson did everything right except put the ball in the basket, shooting a dismal 29 percent from the field.

In addition, the game marked the return of an old Harvard nemesis: the turnover. The Crimson commited 33 errors on the way to a 61-51 loss.

Delaney Smith was happier about this, performance Smith was happier about this performance, saying her squad "played very, very well. We made all the necessary adjustments, but just couldn't put the ball in the basket."