Harvard Tames Terriers in Local Matchup

Heading into its matchup against cross-town rival Boston University, the Harvard women’s basketball team had three goals in mind: to outrebound their opponent, to hold the Terriers below their average points per game, and to neutralize BU’s best forwards.

After 40 minutes of play, the Crimson had achieved its goals, as it rolled to a comfortable 69-58 victory over the Terriers last night in Boston, Mass., at Case Gymnasium.

“We knew it was going to be tough,” senior forward Emma Markley said. “But we had most of the goals that we had taken care of. I think that we did a pretty good job tonight.”

From the opening minutes of play in the first half, it was clear that Harvard would command the rhythm of the game, as the Crimson proved dominant on the offensive and defensive sides of the court.

After five minutes of play, with Harvard leading 12-9, junior guard Brogan Berry added to the Crimson’s lead with a two-point jump shot over the outstretched hands of a BU defender.

Berry’s shot triggered an 8-2 surge by Harvard to grab a nine-point lead at the 9:25 mark of the first half. In the same span of time, the Crimson’s stingy defense kept the Terriers without a single field goal, their only points coming on a pair of free throws.

By the time each team headed for the locker rooms, Harvard maintained its nine-point lead and was up 31-22.

For the Crimson, the first 20 minutes of play had been a productive period. Harvard shot 46 percent from the field while holding BU to just 25 percent. The Crimson also led the Terriers in rebounds, 27-13.

At the start of the second half, Harvard picked up where it left off, hitting five of its first seven shots. But a series of costly turnovers allowed the Terriers to get back into contention. By the 10-minute mark of the second half, BU had cut Harvard’s lead down to three points.

But with a late 6-0 surge, Harvard reasserted its dominance and extended its lead. When time expired from the clock, the Crimson had secured a double-digit victory.

“We weathered their runs,” said Harvard coach Kathy Delaney-Smith. “Every game has them. The question is do you roll over and die or do you get tough, and I think that we got tough.”

On the game, the Crimson shot 50.9 percent from the field, besting its first half efforts by nearly five percent. Of the starting five, four finished with double-digits in point totals.

Freshman guard Christine Clark stood out in particular with 11 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Clark’s performance, which has been steady since the beginning of the season, garnered praise from both her teammates and coaches.

“Christine [Clark] has been stepping up almost every game,” Markley said. “She has an incredible ability to take anything to the board. I’m just really happy that I get to play with her for one year. She’s performing really well for a freshman.”

Berry, sophomore guard Victoria Lippert, and Markley chipped in 12, 11, and 10 points, respectively.

But Clark’s breakout performance was not the only accomplishment of the night.

At the end of the contest, Markley discovered from her teammates and coaches that she had scored her 1000th career point in the first half.

“I had no idea that it was coming. It was a great surprise, and I’m pretty happy about it,” the senior said. “I never really expected to score 1000 points in college, so it’s pretty cool.”

This serves as another milestone in what has already been a distinguished career for Markley. Unsurprisingly, Markley’s achievement brought praise and adulation from her team.

“I’m so happy for her,” Delaney-Smith said. “Emma is a fun player to coach and a fun player to watch. You never know what she’s going to do—even though I’m supposed to. But that’s her value. She is not what you would call the traditional player, and that’s what makes her so hard to stop.”