Women's Cagers Defeat Big Red 72-58

Valentine's Day is supposed to be about frolicking lovers with warm hearts and joyous spirits. Every year people look forward to February 14 as a celebration of love.

It is doubtful that either Harvard or Cornell left last night's game with that lovin' feeling.

Harvard (14-6, 8-0 Ivy) remained unbeaten in Ivy League play with a 72-58 victory over visiting Cornell (10-11, 5-4) last night at Lavietes Pavilion, but could not be thrilled with its play.

"We didn't play very well tonight," co-captain Jessica Gelman said. "But true champions can pull it together and win even when they're not playing well."

This one was not pretty. It was not tremendously convincing. But it is still another notch in the win column for the Crimson.

The first half was close all the way through, and Harvard nursed a 29-24 lead at halftime. In the second half, however, the Crimson came out in a zone defense which rattled the Big Red.

Harvard turned its defensive pressure into easy transition baskets and went on a 12-2 run in the first five minutes of the period to open up a 15-point lead. Cornell would not close the gap to less than nine points the rest of the way.

"We were able to get some fast breaks, and that opens everything up because they become tentative," junior guard Alison Seanor said.

The early second half charge was led by Harvard's leading scorer, junior forward Allison Feaster. Feaster came up with a quick steal to get the run started and then converted a layup as she was fouled.

After hitting the free throw she took another pass away from the Big Red. This time Gelman (12 points, three assists) found the other co-captain Kelly Black under the hoop for an easy bucket.

Still up to her thievery, Feaster swiped yet another Cornell pass and took the ball the length of the court for two more points. She finished with a game-high 28 points and added seven rebounds.

But it was her larceny that was most astonishing. Feaster's eight steals set a new school single-game record.

Harvard did not stop there.

After a Cornell jumper, the Crimson came right back. Seanor hit a streaking Gelman with a beautiful pass for another Harvard layup.

To cap off the run, following a Gelman steal Feaster found sophomore guard Suzie Miller all alone behind the three-point arc. Miller calmly knocked down the trey, and Harvard did not look back.

"It's all about chemistry right now, and it's clicking," Seanor said. "Even when the shots aren't falling, and even when things aren't going our way...it's fun."

Unfortunately, the game did not start off in such promising fashion for the Crimson.

The first 12 minutes of the ballgame were about as sloppy as basketball can get. Both teams combined for 14 turnovers in that time and only 23 points.

"I think we did a poor job getting the ball inside [in the first half]," Harvard coach Kathy Delaney-Smith said. "That's something we need to continue to work on."

The Crimson was slower out of the gate than its opponents and trailed by as many as six points in the early stages. Harvard had trouble getting the ball into the post, while the shots were not falling from the outside.

It could have been worse for the Crimson if not for the efforts of Allison...and Alison. Feaster was doing what she always does--scoring, scoring, rebounding, stealing and, oh yeah, scoring.

Her namesake was doing just about everything else. Seanor finished the game with season highs for rebounds (11), assists (five) and steals (five). She was Harvard's leader in rebounds and assists for the game and chipped in seven points as well.

"[Seanor] is a marvelous defensive player," Delaney-Smith said. "I loved her defense tonight. I thought she did a fabulous job."

Cornell led 10-4 early on before Harvard got its wake-up call. Seanor was the first to get the message, finding Gelman on another backdoor cut for a layup.

Seanor then got her first steal of the game and converted it into two points for Harvard on the offensive end. Junior guard Sarah Brandt then came up with a steal of her own. Feaster converted a layup at the other end to tie the score at 10-10.

Junior guard Megan Basil then put the finishing touches on the reality check with a long three-pointer that put the Crimson ahead for good. The assist came from none other than Seanor.

Overall, Harvard did not play its best basketball. The Crimson struggled offensively in the first half and shot poorly from three-point range all night. In the end, however, it was another tenacious defensive effort that secured the victory over the Big Red.

"Our defense was excellent," Gelman said. "I think we were able to get out faster and beat them down the court."

Harvard has now won five games in a row and eight of its last nine. More importantly, its 20 consecutive Ivy League victories are just one shy of the record held by Brown. The Crimson will be shooting for that record tonight at home against Columbia. Cornell  58 Harvard  72

HARVARD, 72-58 at Lavietes Pavilion Cornell  24  34  --  58 Harvard  29  43  --  72

CORNELL: Cordell 3-10 1-2 7; Froehlich 0-1 0-0 0; Jackson 3-5 2-3 8; English 7-9 2-4 16; Ruck 6-13 4-7 19; Levin 4-5 0-0 8; Maggi 0-0 0-0 0; Lenz 0-1 0-0 0; Tener 0-0 0-0. TOTALS 23-44 9-16 58.

HARVARD: Gelman 3-7 6-8 12; Miller 2-7 2-3 7; Seanor 3-7 1-1 7; Feaster 11-16 3-3 28; Black 3-9 0-0 67; Basil 1-5 1-5 3; Brandt 1-3 0-3 2; Russell 0-1 1-2 1; Sturdy 2-3 2-2 6. TOTALS: 26-58 15-19 72.

HARVARD, 72-58 at Lavietes Pavilion Cornell  24  34  --  58 Harvard  29  43  --  72

CORNELL: Cordell 3-10 1-2 7; Froehlich 0-1 0-0 0; Jackson 3-5 2-3 8; English 7-9 2-4 16; Ruck 6-13 4-7 19; Levin 4-5 0-0 8; Maggi 0-0 0-0 0; Lenz 0-1 0-0 0; Tener 0-0 0-0. TOTALS 23-44 9-16 58.

HARVARD: Gelman 3-7 6-8 12; Miller 2-7 2-3 7; Seanor 3-7 1-1 7; Feaster 11-16 3-3 28; Black 3-9 0-0 67; Basil 1-5 1-5 3; Brandt 1-3 0-3 2; Russell 0-1 1-2 1; Sturdy 2-3 2-2 6. TOTALS: 26-58 15-19 72.

CORNELL: Cordell 3-10 1-2 7; Froehlich 0-1 0-0 0; Jackson 3-5 2-3 8; English 7-9 2-4 16; Ruck 6-13 4-7 19; Levin 4-5 0-0 8; Maggi 0-0 0-0 0; Lenz 0-1 0-0 0; Tener 0-0 0-0. TOTALS 23-44 9-16 58.

HARVARD: Gelman 3-7 6-8 12; Miller 2-7 2-3 7; Seanor 3-7 1-1 7; Feaster 11-16 3-3 28; Black 3-9 0-0 67; Basil 1-5 1-5 3; Brandt 1-3 0-3 2; Russell 0-1 1-2 1; Sturdy 2-3 2-2 6. TOTALS: 26-58 15-19 72.