Women’s Basketball Soars Above Eagles in Overtime Battle

Witnessed by a sparse and quiet Conte Forum crowd, the Harvard Crimson (3-3, 0-0 Ivy League) outlasted the Boston College Eagles (3-3, 0-0 ACC) 72-65 in an away showdown that was so tight, it required overtime.

The exciting result extended the Crimson’s win streak against its in-state rivals. Harvard has now won the last four contests, having not dropped a game to the Eagles since November of 2022.

Following the tip-off, which went Harvard’s way, the Crimson started its points tally thanks to a second-chance layup, scored by forward Abigail Wright. Leading Harvard as one of the team’s captains, the junior from nearby Newton, Mass., went on to top the game with eight rebounds and tied her career-high of 23 points.

Over the course of the first quarter, both sides traded shots from deep, albeit each team struggled with a combined conversion rate of only 6.7 percent of the first 15 three-point attempts: the lone make came from Harvard’s senior guard Saniyah Glenn-Bello after she broke down the Eagles’ zone defense near the baseline. Meanwhile, Boston College, relying heavily on nailing baskets in the paint and coasting on the Crimson’s scoring drought, capitalized and quietly went on a 12-2 run to close out the quarter, firing home a mid-range buzzer-beater.

The Crimson returned to the court to open the second quarter with a strong surge, running a full-court press to exert more aggressive pressure on the Eagles. Despite the strong defensive effort, stalls in offense led to a scoreless three minutes and 19 seconds for both sides, a deadlock that was eventually broken by a basket from Wright. Harvard held on to this boost of momentum, and, combined with three clutch back-to-back three pointers, quickly bounced back to erase the deficit. With the change in momentum, the Crimson was able to nab a one-point lead before it headed into the locker room for the halftime break.

Following Boston College’s halftime festivities, which consisted of Broadway trivia and a skills challenge, the second half kicked off. Senior guard Katie Krupa and junior captain Karlee White knocked down another two unanswered three-pointers to further extend the Crimson’s advantage. Both teams proceeded to cruise through the remainder of the evenly contested back-and-forth quarter.

As the game approached its final minutes, the pressure and tempo intensified, and widespread errors began to emerge: Harvard committed four offensive fouls and teams combined for 16 turnovers. Despite loud defense chants echoing from Harvard’s bench, a handful of late calls against the Crimson helped keep the game alive. With the final possession and no time left on the shot clock, Eagles guard Lily Carmody attempted a last-second baseline drive but missed short, concluding regulation time and sending this intense match to overtime – the Crimson’s first overtime period of play since upsetting Indiana University last November.

Harvard took flight during overtime, continuing to showcase its strong teamwork, while finishing with a season-high of 22 assists and setting up ten free throws. With mere 9.8 seconds left on the clock, the Eagles drew and buried a three-point play, but it proved to be only consolation, as the Crimson’s success in overtime helped it return home with a satisfying victory.

Harvard will now escape the dreary New England weather, traveling to the Bahamas. The Crimson will venture down to the Caribbean island’s capital, Nassau, to compete in the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship. To start the event, Harvard will face off against the undefeated University of Alabama (5-0, 0-0 SEC) on Monday.