W. Basketball NCAA Run Ends at Hands Of Arkansas, 82-64

PALO ALTO, Calif.--As surely as night turns into day, all dreams must come to an end.

Two nights after upsetting top-seeded Stanford to become the first 16 seed ever to win an NCAA Tournament game, the Harvard women's basketball team awoke from its hoop dream.

Behind 19 points and 11 assists from senior All-American Christy smith, a relentless press and unconscious three-point shooting, the Arkansas Lady Razorbacks (20-10, 7-7 SEC) bounced Harvard (23-5, 12-2 Ivy) from the NCAA Tournament, 82-64, last night at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto.

After a three-pointer by co-captain Megan Basil gave Harvard an early 5-2 lead, Arkansas mounted a 20-5 run and never looked back. The Crimson, Playing without the services of junior center Rose Janowski, seemed unable to simultaneously contain Arkansas post players and prevent the Lady 'Backs three-point bombers from heating up. Janowski was hospitalized late Sunday night with an ovarian cyst.

Freshman Wendi Willits connected on 6-of-8 from three-point range for 18 points as Harvard was repeatedly slow on its defensive rotations to the outside.

The Lady 'Backs shot a mindboggling 50 percent from distance in the game.

Compound that with Harvard's 18 turnovers, 13 of which came in the first half, and you get Arkansas in a runaway.

"We're starting to play good basketball and we're getting in synch," Arkansas Coach Gary Blair said. "Our press was working so well we were stealing the ball and missing lay-ups. But that didn't bother me at all because it was all from hustle."

Senior All-American Allison Feaster led all scorers with 28 points on 10-of-20 shooting, but it was not enough. Blair's strategy of containing Harvard's perimeter game first and focusing on Feaster second worked to perfection, as the Crimson was consistently unable to free its outside shooters.

Harvard, which entered the Tournament second in the nation in three-pointers per game (7.6), finished 8-of-22 from downtown, but many of those threes fell in the game's waning minutes.

Junior Suzie Miller, engineer of two of the biggest shots in Harvard basketball history against Stanford, was held scoreless in the first half. She finished with eight points, and was 0-for-4 from three-point range.

"Our goal was to hold Feaster to 19 points and shut down everyone else, and we did pretty well," Blair said.

Arkansas led comfortably for most of the first half, and the Lady 'Backs entered the locker room with a 13-point lead, 45-32. Willits, who led the team with 45 treys during the regular season, ignited the first-half run with a three-pointer from the right wing.

Willits connected on her first five threes and scored 15 of Arkansas' first 25 points over a stretch of 7:33 early in the game.

"[Smith] did a great job of setting me up," Willits said. "As soon as I hit my first one, I didn't think twice about it."

Harvard committed seven turnovers in the first 6:32 as the Crimson seemed unable to cope with Arkansas' quickness. Smith and her backcourt mate, junior Sytia Messer, bothered Harvard's ball-handlers relentlessly on defense Smith logged three steals in the first half.

"[Smith] is an amazing point guard, and the best I have played against," co-captain Megan Basil said. "Defensively she was tough to guard and they put a lot of pressure on us. In the first half their guards caused a lot of turnovers."

Smith was a nuisance on both ends of the floor. She penetrated with ease at times, which gave her the room she needed on the outside and opened the floor for Willits to work her magic. Harvard clearly missed Janowski's physical presence inside, as Smith and Messer (19points) drove early and often, and sophomore KarynKarlin (16 points) found the bottom of the net onseveral lay-ups.

Janowski is under observation at the StanfordMedical Center with what appears to be acomplication related to an ovarian cyst with whichshe was recently diagnosed--it is the second timeJanowski has had a cyst. She went into surgerylate last night.

"Defensively I think we could have really used[Janowski]," Harvard Coach Kathy Delaney-Smithsaid. "She's our enforcer in the lane. If shescores for us, that's extra."

Arkansas opened the second half cold from thefield, but Harvard was unable to capitalize. TheCrimson did seem to adjust to the athleticism ofthe Arkansas guards after the break, committingjust five second-half turnovers, but still theshots were not falling when they needed to.

Miller and junior Sarah Russell--who started inplace of Janowski--scored on back-to-back lay-upsto bring Harvard within 11, 47-36. But Messerresponded, driving in from the right side for alay-up to increase the lead to 13. Then, afterseveral misses by both teams, Smith hit a threefrom the left wing to put her team up by 16.Harvard never got closer than 13 for the remainderof the game.

Willits and Messer sealed the Arkansas victorywhen they hit back-to-back threes to put the Lady'Backs up 73-49 with 6:11 remaining in the game.With 38 seconds to go, Delaney-Smith substitutedin for Feaster and co-captain Megan Basil; the twoleft to a standing ovation.

Feaster finishes her Harvard career with anAll-American season in which she led the nation inscoring and led her team to one of the biggestupsets in college basketball history. With both ofthe Tournament games televised nationally, herstock among professional scouts skyrocketed thisweekend.

"[Feaster] is just as good as [national Playerof the Year-candidate Chamique] Holdsclaw, justshorter," Messer said. "She reminds me of asmaller version of Natalie Williams, who is thebest player in the ABL," Blair said. "Before shehits Wall Street I hope she hits the pro leaguesfor a few years, because we need quality peoplelike her."

The Lady 'Backs will now face Kansas at the NewArena in Oakland on Saturday. Arkansas is one offive SEC teams to reach the Regional Semifinals.

The Crimson return to the cold reality ofCambridge this afternoon, but what a dream it was.

"It's all about respect for us," Feaster said."People ask us why we would go to Harvard to playDivision I basketball, and Saturday showed why. Wehave the best of both worlds. Winning Saturday wasthe most satisfying sports experience I've everhad."Associated PressFOND FAREWELL:The woman who hasdefined Harvard women's basketball over the lastfour years, ALLISON FEASTER poured in 28 points inher memorable final game in a Harvard uniform.

Janowski is under observation at the StanfordMedical Center with what appears to be acomplication related to an ovarian cyst with whichshe was recently diagnosed--it is the second timeJanowski has had a cyst. She went into surgerylate last night.

"Defensively I think we could have really used[Janowski]," Harvard Coach Kathy Delaney-Smithsaid. "She's our enforcer in the lane. If shescores for us, that's extra."

Arkansas opened the second half cold from thefield, but Harvard was unable to capitalize. TheCrimson did seem to adjust to the athleticism ofthe Arkansas guards after the break, committingjust five second-half turnovers, but still theshots were not falling when they needed to.

Miller and junior Sarah Russell--who started inplace of Janowski--scored on back-to-back lay-upsto bring Harvard within 11, 47-36. But Messerresponded, driving in from the right side for alay-up to increase the lead to 13. Then, afterseveral misses by both teams, Smith hit a threefrom the left wing to put her team up by 16.Harvard never got closer than 13 for the remainderof the game.

Willits and Messer sealed the Arkansas victorywhen they hit back-to-back threes to put the Lady'Backs up 73-49 with 6:11 remaining in the game.With 38 seconds to go, Delaney-Smith substitutedin for Feaster and co-captain Megan Basil; the twoleft to a standing ovation.

Feaster finishes her Harvard career with anAll-American season in which she led the nation inscoring and led her team to one of the biggestupsets in college basketball history. With both ofthe Tournament games televised nationally, herstock among professional scouts skyrocketed thisweekend.

"[Feaster] is just as good as [national Playerof the Year-candidate Chamique] Holdsclaw, justshorter," Messer said. "She reminds me of asmaller version of Natalie Williams, who is thebest player in the ABL," Blair said. "Before shehits Wall Street I hope she hits the pro leaguesfor a few years, because we need quality peoplelike her."

The Lady 'Backs will now face Kansas at the NewArena in Oakland on Saturday. Arkansas is one offive SEC teams to reach the Regional Semifinals.

The Crimson return to the cold reality ofCambridge this afternoon, but what a dream it was.

"It's all about respect for us," Feaster said."People ask us why we would go to Harvard to playDivision I basketball, and Saturday showed why. Wehave the best of both worlds. Winning Saturday wasthe most satisfying sports experience I've everhad."Associated PressFOND FAREWELL:The woman who hasdefined Harvard women's basketball over the lastfour years, ALLISON FEASTER poured in 28 points inher memorable final game in a Harvard uniform.