Title Bid Ends with Loss to Princeton

With a win against Princeton on Saturday night, the Harvard women’s basketball team would remain in contention for a share of its 12th Ancient Eight title. With a loss, the Tigers would become sole champions of the league.

Immense anticipation culminated in a nailbiter with an energized crowd at Lavietes Pavilion and even more energized players. But despite a strong showing, the Crimson (19-8, 10-3 Ivy) fell, 78-66, to Princeton (25-2, 13-0) in its first home-court loss of the season.

The final score, though, does little to demonstrate the aggressive play and small score differences that characterized much of the game.

“We actually feel we match up well with [Princeton],” said Harvard coach Kathy Delaney-Smith.

After a slow start, the Crimson indeed matched the Tigers’ every move. In the first three minutes, Princeton jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead. But junior forward Emma Markley put away three jumpers and freshman guard Victoria Lippert sank a three-pointer to get momentum going for Harvard, putting the score at 14-9.

A three-pointer by junior guard Jackie Alemany and another jumper from Markley then knotted the score at 14.

Interestingly enough, Markley started her collegiate career Tigers before taking a gap year and transferring to Cambridge. But her former loyalties did little to slow down her fierce play.

“I was very proud of Emma Markley,” Delaney-Smith said. “I don’t think Emma had a great game [Friday] night, but she picked it up tonight, and she was fantastic.”

With the score tied, the Crimson then took off with the lead. The team carried it well into the first half, and the crowd’s energy grew more electric as Harvard’s lead held on. With 2:23 left in the first, the Crimson was up, 32-29.

But the Tigers’ Lauren Edwards swayed things back in Princeton’s favor. The guard and reigning Ivy Player of the Week proved a tough opponent for Harvard throughout the night.

“When Princeton is feeling pressure, when they want to make a run, [Edwards] does it,” Delaney-Smith said.

Closing out the first half, Edwards did just that. The sophomore nailed a free throw followed by an easy jumper to tie the score at 32. She then picked up a defensive rebound and a steal to help Princeton edge ahead, 36-33, by the end of the first half.

Entering the second half behind on the scoreboard did not slow the Crimson. Markley once again got the action going as she easily netted a shot over the block of her Tiger defender.

Harvard also hustled to slow the quick play of Edwards. Junior guard and co-captain Christine Matera was key to keeping the Princeton star under control.

“Christine was positively outstanding,” Delaney-Smith said. “She had to guard [Edwards], and when she was on her, Christine did her job—[Edwards] couldn’t do much. It was a position that when other people were on [Edwards], she got the points.”

With Matera’s strong defense, the Crimson battled to gain its lead back once more. Except for a brief five-point gap, Harvard stayed within two or three points of Princeton in the first 10 minutes of the second frame. Halfway through, the Crimson trailed by three, 57-54, and the shot at the Ivy League title was still a definite possibility.

But the late minutes of the game brought with them a powerful surge from the Tigers. With just under four minutes left, Princeton sprang into the lead by eight points, 66-58.

“We knew that Princeton was going to have their runs, and we can’t stop that,” noted junior co-captain and forward Claire Wheeler.

Ultimately, the game’s final minutes saw Princeton pulling further ahead against a fading Harvard offense. Freshman and Ivy League Co-Rookie of the Week—alongside Lippert—Niveen Rashid led the way, as she added easy baskets to her total of 20 points on the night.

But some in the crowd would insist that the refs played a large role in the Crimson’s lack of success late in the game. After the clock ran out, speculation buzzed, hinting that if a few controversial calls had gone Harvard’s way, perhaps the game would have turned out differently.

Wheeler indicated that the team thinks otherwise.

“Our motto is to not put the game into the ref’s hands,” the co-captain said. “We need to be able to do what we have to do to win, whether or not the refs call everything against us.”

But despite the disappointing loss, the Crimson is positive about the end of its season.

“We’re going to beat Dartmouth, and then we’re going to try to do some damage in the WNITs,” Delaney-Smith said.