Harvard Women Roll Over New Hampshire

The Harvard women’s basketball team showcased what its offense could do last night in Lavietes Pavilion, putting up 81 points as the Crimson (4-2)torched the University of New Hampshire (0-5).

Harvard played by far its most complete game of the season in the 81-58 win, which saw co-captain Niki Finelli, sophomore Emma Markley, and freshman Brogan Berry all score in double figures.

“It was a real feel-good win for the team tonight,” said Finelli, who finished the game with 15 points on 6-for-8 shooting. “For the first time we were able to put together a full 40 minutes.”

The story of the night was the Crimson’s sharp-shooting and its high-pace transition offense.

Harvard finished the game shooting 57 percent from the floor, and its 81 points were a season-high.

The Crimson pushed the tempo throughout, scoring 28 points off the Wildcats’ turnovers, and 14 on the fast break.

“We do run very well,” coach Kathy Delaney-Smith said. “We have some great athletes and we like to spread the floor. We got shooters to run wide and open the floor for Emma Markley up the middle…and for Emily [Tay] or Brogan to penetrate.”

Markley led all scorers with 20 points as she continued her strong start to the season. She has now scored in double figures in each of the team’s opening five games.

“We know we can give Emma the ball and that she’ll finish,” Berry said of the sophormore.

Harvard got off to a blistering start with back-to-back baskets from Markley off of feeds from co-captain Tay and then Berry. Finelli also had two three-pointers from the left corner in the first five minutes.

New Hampshire junior Amy Simpson, however, almost single-handedly kept the Crimson from running away with the game, scoring seven of her team’s first nine points.

The fast pace in the opening period left the fans in attendance little time to breathe.

After 13 minutes of play, Harvard had built a 31-15 lead and was shooting an astounding 72 percent from the floor and 80 percent from behind the arc.

The team was firing on all cylinders. Solid defense led to a number of wayward passes from the Wildcats, and the speed of the Crimson players allowed them to capitalize.

“Everything stems from our defense,” Finelli said.

The steals allowed Harvard to break, and everything was clicking for the offense.

“Most of the shots just come in the flow of our transition,” Berry said.

The freshman was at the heart of everything for Harvard, locking down her man on the defensive end, and then running the floor from the point.

Berry scored 12 of her 14 points in the first half and added three assists in the opening 20 minutes.

The Crimson went into the break up 15, and maintained a comfortable lead for the majority of the second half.

New Hampshire got to within nine with six minutes to go, but Harvard pushed back leaving the Wildcats in its wake.

The Crimson went on a 16-2 run over the next three minutes, and Tay added some flash to ice the game.

Tay stole the ball from Simpson, and then dished a no-look pass to Markley for an easy lay-up. On the ensuing possession, Tay again stole the ball from Simpson. This time she took the ball up the court herself, nailing a jumper and getting the foul. After hitting the free throw, Harvard had a 23-point lead and was home free.

Tay finished the game with nine points and nine assists. Senior Katie Rollins added eight points and six boards to the cause.

Its sustained intensity helped the Crimson put its transition offensive on display.

“There’s a method to our madness,” Delaney-Smith said.

The win indicates that Harvard may be hitting its stride, which comes as good news as the team faces five games over the next two weeks.

“We are really starting to mesh as a team, and chemistry, on and off the court is really helping us win,” Berry said.

—Staff writer Jay M. Cohen can be reached at jaycohen@fas.harvard.edu.