W. Basketball Tops Ivy League Again

When the Chicago Bulls captured the NBA Championship last season, the moment seemed almost anti-climactic.

Did anyone expect anything different?

Last night at Lavietes Pavilion that same feeling permeated the building. The Harvard women's basketball team clinched its second consecutive Ivy League crown and NCAA Tournament berth by dismantling Yale, 60-36. Harvard  60 Yale  36

Did anyone expect anything different?

Maybe Brown did. It was the Bears' defeat at the hands of Dartmouth, 90-78, which destroyed any sliver of hope they may have had to edge out the Crimson for the title.

Harvard (18-6, 12-0) is the second team in the nation to clinch a berth in the tournament after Stanford became the first to do so earlier this week. This is the fifth overall Ivy League Championship for the Crimson which has now won a record 24 consecutive Ivy League contests.

"Our defense was really, really good [last night]," Harvard coach Kathy Delaney-Smith said. "I was very happy. But we have to play better offense."

The only surprise for Harvard fans last night was the slow pace of the game in the first half. The usually high-powered offensive attack of the Crimson was slow getting its engine started, and Harvard only led 25-13 at halftime.

That all changed at the onset of the second period. Harvard came out of the locker room, shifted into a higher gear and left the overwhelmed Elis sputtering in its wake.

"I said [to the team at halftime], "Your passes stink. Your decisions stink. So the good news is...you can only get better,'" Delaney-Smith said.

The Crimson used a full-court press to force Yale (10-15, 6-7) into six turnovers during the first seven minutes of the second half. Harvard went on an 18-5 run during this stretch and opened up a 25-point lead to end any doubts as to the outcome of the game.

Co-captain Jessica Gelman (19 points, four assists, four steals) started the onslaught when she found junior forward Allison Feaster underneath the hoop for an easy two points.

One minute later, Feaster decided to continue the generosity. She slashed through the lane and dumped a pass off to junior Alison Seanor (two points, four assists, two blocks) for another easy bucket.

Keeping with the trend of easy layups, co-captain Kelly Black took a nicely-placed feed from Gelman and kissed it off the glass for two more points.

On Harvard's next possession, Feaster found Gelman on the left wing. The point guard calmly squared herself to the basket and knocked down the jumper to continue the hot shooting by the Crimson.

"Our second half was obviously a much better performance," Gelman said. "That's the team we've been for the past two months."

Harvard then turned the game into a track meet, and Yale could not keep pace. Feaster began by coming up with a steal at the defensive end of the floor. Seconds later she converted a Seanor pass into a layup to cap off the play.

Black got into the act with a steal of her own. She fired an outlet pass to Gelman, who slowly brought the ball up court and drained a three-pointer which forced Yale to take a timeout.

After the break, Harvard displayed a little show time for the home crowd. Seanor stole a Yale pass and started the fast break by passing the ball out to junior guard Megan Basil.

Basil penetrated against the Yale defense and gave the ball up to Seanor for the layup. But rather than going up with the shot, Seanor left a beautiful touch pass for Feaster who finished off the break to the roar of the fans.

A half-minute later Feaster capped the run with a trey of her own. The junior juggernaut finished with 25 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two steals in the game.

The night, however, belonged to Gelman.

Her three-pointer during the Harvard run put her over the 1,000 point mark for career scoring. She already broke Harvard's all-time career assist mark earlier this season.

"Jes played a great game," Delaney-Smith said. "I would highlight her assists, her passing, her defense. She is playing like a champion. She raised the level of this team with what she was doing on the floor."

The Crimson's field general has been combining a fine shooting touch with eye-opening passing all season, and last night was no different. She did not let her own achievements, however, outshine her team's accomplishment.

"I was just trying to shut the door on [Yale]," Gelman said. "I was excited because I thought it was a big momentum change. It's nice [to score 1,000 points], but it wasn't the most important thing that happened tonight."

In the tradition of the Bad Boys of Detroit and the Rockets of Houston, the Crimson of Harvard has now captured back-to-back championships. But neither the Pistons nor the Rockets could make history in the process as the Bulls did last year by winning an NBA-record 70 games.

Harvard, on the other hand, has that chance.

No Ivy League team has ever finished a season undefeated in league play. The Crimson is two victories away from achieving that feat.

The title has been claimed, but there is still one more goal to be realized. Before Harvard packs its bags and heads off to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year, it plans to make history.

"Almost taking priority over [winning the Ivy League title] is going undefeated," Delaney-Smith said. "We want to win our last two games, peri-CrimsonAshley S. MarynickJESSICA GELMAN (12) shoots a jumper. Gelman scored her 1,000th career point last night.

Did anyone expect anything different?

Maybe Brown did. It was the Bears' defeat at the hands of Dartmouth, 90-78, which destroyed any sliver of hope they may have had to edge out the Crimson for the title.

Harvard (18-6, 12-0) is the second team in the nation to clinch a berth in the tournament after Stanford became the first to do so earlier this week. This is the fifth overall Ivy League Championship for the Crimson which has now won a record 24 consecutive Ivy League contests.

"Our defense was really, really good [last night]," Harvard coach Kathy Delaney-Smith said. "I was very happy. But we have to play better offense."

The only surprise for Harvard fans last night was the slow pace of the game in the first half. The usually high-powered offensive attack of the Crimson was slow getting its engine started, and Harvard only led 25-13 at halftime.

That all changed at the onset of the second period. Harvard came out of the locker room, shifted into a higher gear and left the overwhelmed Elis sputtering in its wake.

"I said [to the team at halftime], "Your passes stink. Your decisions stink. So the good news is...you can only get better,'" Delaney-Smith said.

The Crimson used a full-court press to force Yale (10-15, 6-7) into six turnovers during the first seven minutes of the second half. Harvard went on an 18-5 run during this stretch and opened up a 25-point lead to end any doubts as to the outcome of the game.

Co-captain Jessica Gelman (19 points, four assists, four steals) started the onslaught when she found junior forward Allison Feaster underneath the hoop for an easy two points.

One minute later, Feaster decided to continue the generosity. She slashed through the lane and dumped a pass off to junior Alison Seanor (two points, four assists, two blocks) for another easy bucket.

Keeping with the trend of easy layups, co-captain Kelly Black took a nicely-placed feed from Gelman and kissed it off the glass for two more points.

On Harvard's next possession, Feaster found Gelman on the left wing. The point guard calmly squared herself to the basket and knocked down the jumper to continue the hot shooting by the Crimson.

"Our second half was obviously a much better performance," Gelman said. "That's the team we've been for the past two months."

Harvard then turned the game into a track meet, and Yale could not keep pace. Feaster began by coming up with a steal at the defensive end of the floor. Seconds later she converted a Seanor pass into a layup to cap off the play.

Black got into the act with a steal of her own. She fired an outlet pass to Gelman, who slowly brought the ball up court and drained a three-pointer which forced Yale to take a timeout.

After the break, Harvard displayed a little show time for the home crowd. Seanor stole a Yale pass and started the fast break by passing the ball out to junior guard Megan Basil.

Basil penetrated against the Yale defense and gave the ball up to Seanor for the layup. But rather than going up with the shot, Seanor left a beautiful touch pass for Feaster who finished off the break to the roar of the fans.

A half-minute later Feaster capped the run with a trey of her own. The junior juggernaut finished with 25 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two steals in the game.

The night, however, belonged to Gelman.

Her three-pointer during the Harvard run put her over the 1,000 point mark for career scoring. She already broke Harvard's all-time career assist mark earlier this season.

"Jes played a great game," Delaney-Smith said. "I would highlight her assists, her passing, her defense. She is playing like a champion. She raised the level of this team with what she was doing on the floor."

The Crimson's field general has been combining a fine shooting touch with eye-opening passing all season, and last night was no different. She did not let her own achievements, however, outshine her team's accomplishment.

"I was just trying to shut the door on [Yale]," Gelman said. "I was excited because I thought it was a big momentum change. It's nice [to score 1,000 points], but it wasn't the most important thing that happened tonight."

In the tradition of the Bad Boys of Detroit and the Rockets of Houston, the Crimson of Harvard has now captured back-to-back championships. But neither the Pistons nor the Rockets could make history in the process as the Bulls did last year by winning an NBA-record 70 games.

Harvard, on the other hand, has that chance.

No Ivy League team has ever finished a season undefeated in league play. The Crimson is two victories away from achieving that feat.

The title has been claimed, but there is still one more goal to be realized. Before Harvard packs its bags and heads off to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year, it plans to make history.

"Almost taking priority over [winning the Ivy League title] is going undefeated," Delaney-Smith said. "We want to win our last two games, peri-CrimsonAshley S. MarynickJESSICA GELMAN (12) shoots a jumper. Gelman scored her 1,000th career point last night.

Co-captain Jessica Gelman (19 points, four assists, four steals) started the onslaught when she found junior forward Allison Feaster underneath the hoop for an easy two points.

One minute later, Feaster decided to continue the generosity. She slashed through the lane and dumped a pass off to junior Alison Seanor (two points, four assists, two blocks) for another easy bucket.

Keeping with the trend of easy layups, co-captain Kelly Black took a nicely-placed feed from Gelman and kissed it off the glass for two more points.

On Harvard's next possession, Feaster found Gelman on the left wing. The point guard calmly squared herself to the basket and knocked down the jumper to continue the hot shooting by the Crimson.

"Our second half was obviously a much better performance," Gelman said. "That's the team we've been for the past two months."

Harvard then turned the game into a track meet, and Yale could not keep pace. Feaster began by coming up with a steal at the defensive end of the floor. Seconds later she converted a Seanor pass into a layup to cap off the play.

Black got into the act with a steal of her own. She fired an outlet pass to Gelman, who slowly brought the ball up court and drained a three-pointer which forced Yale to take a timeout.

After the break, Harvard displayed a little show time for the home crowd. Seanor stole a Yale pass and started the fast break by passing the ball out to junior guard Megan Basil.

Basil penetrated against the Yale defense and gave the ball up to Seanor for the layup. But rather than going up with the shot, Seanor left a beautiful touch pass for Feaster who finished off the break to the roar of the fans.

A half-minute later Feaster capped the run with a trey of her own. The junior juggernaut finished with 25 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two steals in the game.

The night, however, belonged to Gelman.

Her three-pointer during the Harvard run put her over the 1,000 point mark for career scoring. She already broke Harvard's all-time career assist mark earlier this season.

"Jes played a great game," Delaney-Smith said. "I would highlight her assists, her passing, her defense. She is playing like a champion. She raised the level of this team with what she was doing on the floor."

The Crimson's field general has been combining a fine shooting touch with eye-opening passing all season, and last night was no different. She did not let her own achievements, however, outshine her team's accomplishment.

"I was just trying to shut the door on [Yale]," Gelman said. "I was excited because I thought it was a big momentum change. It's nice [to score 1,000 points], but it wasn't the most important thing that happened tonight."

In the tradition of the Bad Boys of Detroit and the Rockets of Houston, the Crimson of Harvard has now captured back-to-back championships. But neither the Pistons nor the Rockets could make history in the process as the Bulls did last year by winning an NBA-record 70 games.

Harvard, on the other hand, has that chance.

No Ivy League team has ever finished a season undefeated in league play. The Crimson is two victories away from achieving that feat.

The title has been claimed, but there is still one more goal to be realized. Before Harvard packs its bags and heads off to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year, it plans to make history.

"Almost taking priority over [winning the Ivy League title] is going undefeated," Delaney-Smith said. "We want to win our last two games, peri-CrimsonAshley S. MarynickJESSICA GELMAN (12) shoots a jumper. Gelman scored her 1,000th career point last night.