Women's Basketball Pushes Win Streak to Six in Win Over Owls

The Harvard women’s basketball team knew that if it stuck to the scouting report against formidable foe Temple on Thursday night, everything else would fall into place.

The Crimson did just that.

Harvard (6-1) enjoyed its first-ever triumph over the Owls (3-2), 73-62, thanks in part to the solid execution of a clever match-up zone defense.

“[The Owls are] a really good team,” freshman guard Katie Benzan said. “They’re really athletic, they have really good guards, really good bigs, and are… much better than the other opponents we’ve played.”

With the victory, Harvard extended its win streak to six games and remains an unbeaten in its four contests at Lavietes Pavilion this season. This six-game stretch of non-conference success is the Crimson’s longest such trend since the 2013-2014 season, which saw a seven-game streak.

“I honestly believe with this team, since we have so many scorers, [our keys to success are] defense and rebounding,” said Harvard coach Kathy Delaney-Smith. “[The players] did a fabulous job sticking to the scout.”

After a 5-0 Temple run to start the game, Harvard sophomore guard Madeline Raster got the Crimson on the board with a deep ball launched from the top of the arc. From that point forward, the Crimson gradually seized control of the game, recording four steals and four shot rejections in the first two quarters. Despite the few promising baskets shortly after tip-off, Temple struggled from the field in the first half, registering only 23 points—to Harvard’s 32—on 10-for-38 shooting.

“I think [the Owls] were shocked by us, to be honest,” Delaney-Smith said. “We had a nice little ‘junk defense.’ It was the correct defense for the game…and [the players] stuck to it.”

On top of the Crimson’s staunch defensive effort, Harvard dominated all areas when it came to scoring the basketball. The Crimson outshot Temple from the field, the charity stripe, and beyond the arc.

As the Owls’ scoring woes persisted, Raster continued to set the tone offensively, notching her team’s first nine points.

Furthermore, Harvard availed itself of the three-point shot early in the contest, finishing the first frame shooting 43 percent from downtown.

Though trailing by nine at the middle intermission, Temple attempted 11 more shots than did the Crimson, a testament to the Owls’ dominant first-half presence on the offensive glass, where they hauled in 11 boards in the first 20 minutes alone. Temple simply could not convert on the second chance opportunities it afforded itself by way of the offensive boards, perhaps the one bright spot in the Owls’ game.

Temple began the first half with a spark—a quick six-point run to open the second half allowed the Owls to trim Harvard’s lead to just four. Nevertheless, the Crimson pushed back and maintained its lead at or around 10 points for the remainder of the third quarter.

“Basketball is a game of runs,” Benzan said. “We just ended up having the last one, and we cut [Temple’s runs] short.”

The Crimson received hefty contributions from senior forward Destiny Nunley, who led all players with 21 points and imposed her will in the paint with five blocks and 10 rebounds. Just like Nunley, sophomore guard Sydney Skinner recorded a double-double of the points-rebounds variety.

“Every game, it’s someone else who steps up,” Nunley said. “I think that’s what makes us so successful right now…. Everybody can put the ball in the basket and [plays] great defense.”

For visiting Temple, upperclassman guards Tanaya Atkinson, Alliya Butts, and Feyonda Fitzgerald all tallied at least 15 points, with Atkinson pulling down a game-high 12 boards.

By out-rebounding the opposition 43-39 on Thursday night, Harvard continues its season-long streak of controlling the glass.

Historically, when the Crimson dominates the boards, it dictates the game, as shown by its 12-3 record last season in 15 games with the rebounding advantage.

“We really came out and gave it our all,” junior guard Taylor Rooks said. “It was great to see us get a lead as well as do all the little things that are necessary to win the game. [The game] was awesome.”