Harvard Women’s Hoops Splits Pair of Games at Tourney

The Harvard women’s basketball team obtained mixed results over the weekend at the annual Navy Classic in Annapolis, Md.

The Crimson (2-1) started out with an 84-76 win over Oral Roberts (2-3) on Friday afternoon, but the squad fell to host Navy (3-1) the next evening, 65-60. Senior Emma Markley had a pair of strong performances over the weekend, particularly on Friday, when she scored 25 points and grabbed nine rebounds against the Golden Eagles. The senior, along with freshman Christine Clark, put up a team-high 12 points against the Mids, but Harvard couldn’t overcome a large deficit and dropped its first game of the season.

“We were pretty happy with the first game of the weekend and pretty disappointed with [Saturday’s] loss,” co-captain Christine Matera said, “especially because it was based on our defensive performance, which was pretty poor in the first half.”

Villanova (3-1) also featured in the four-team showcase, but no match was scheduled between the Crimson and the Wildcats.

NAVY 65, HARVARD 60

Coming off a win the previous day, Harvard looked to maintain its perfect start to the season against host Navy. In last year’s matchup, the Crimson had no troubles against the Mids, winning by a 16-point margin, 71-55. It wasn’t the case this time around, with a dominant Navy team coming out strong in the first half.

Matera sank a three-pointer at the start, but as the game progressed, the Crimson displayed serious shooting woes for the first time this season. Harvard shot a miserable 20.8 percent in the first half, while the Mids hit roughly half their shots to create a sizeable lead by halftime, 40-19.

“Navy is a very physical team, and we can’t put ourselves in a hole like we did against them,” Matera said. “We need to come out stronger, and people who come off the bench need to provide that spark for the team.”

After the break, roles reversed as the Crimson slowly chipped away at the seemingly insurmountable lead. Harvard scored the first six points to start the period, and an 8-0 run with eight minutes to play reduced the deficit to 55-47. It didn’t stop there, as three consecutive field goals by the Crimson made it a three-point game with just over a minute left.

Leading scorer Angela Myers made a jump shot to keep Harvard’s threatening play at bay, but junior Brogan Berry sank a couple of free throws to keep it a one-possession game, 63-60.

Seventeen seconds were left on the clock when rookie Clark drove to the hoop, but Christine Consedine—Navy’s all-time leader in blocked shots—came up with a critical swat to effectively put a stop to the Crimson comeback. A foul by Harvard ensued, and Chey Arvin hit two free throws to end the game.

“I think these games have prepared us in the sense that this performance cannot happen again,” Matera said.

HARVARD 84, ORAL ROBERTS 76

Friday night’s win over Oral Roberts brought an all-around solid offensive performance by the Crimson, as four players had double-digit games in terms of scoring. Sophomore Victoria Lippert and Berry each contributed 15 points, but it was all about Markley, who led all players in scoring with 25 points.

“Emma is key for us,” Lippert said. “She can finish very difficult shots. She’s a force in the paint. It’s definitely very fun to play with her and great to have someone who can do what she can. She’s very difficult to stop.”

Berry was also active on the boards, grabbing eight rebounds and finishing the game with six assists.

Oral Roberts opened up an 8-2 lead to start the game, but the Crimson overcame the deficit and made it 24-16 with seven minutes left. Harvard established a 40-28 lead by halftime.

Even though Harvard was outscored, 48-44, in the second half, the Crimson was never in danger of losing control of the match. The Golden Eagles, led by Jaci Bigham’s 20-point performance, came within eight points with one minute left, but it was not enough.

“We stepped up our defense and we played pretty well against them,” Lippert said. “We accomplished the goals that we set for ourselves.”

—Staff writer Brian A. Campos can be reached at bcampos@fas.harvard.edu.