Last night the Harvard women's basketball team performed a modified version of the St. Valentine's Day massacre, rubbing out the Columbia Lions 79-68 at Briggs Cage.

Call it the St. Valentine's Day Skirmish.

By all rights, the Crimson (7-11 overall, 4-2 Ivy) should have over powered the lowly Lions (4-15, 1-6) from the beginning.

But instead it was Harvard which came out flat, turning the ball over, playing anemic defense and throwing weak passes.

"We weren't playing with any intensity the first half," freshman forward Tammy Butler said. "We just weren't clicking."

Electrified by the hot shooting of junior guard Kerry Lunz, Columbia seized on Harvard's torpid play and kept the game close.

The teams were tied 34-34 at intermission, leaving Harvard women's basketball coach, Kathy Delaney Smith less than pleased.

"I was furious," she said. "I was very unhappy with the defense in the first half. It was disgraceful."

Delaney Smith's anger certainly paid off.

A different Crimson team took the floor in the second half, and proceeded to work the Lions over. Harvard opened the final stanza with an impressive 17-7 run, and never relinquished the lead.

Harvard shot a remarkable .552 from the field in the second half, with junior center Debbie Flandermeyer chipping in 12. On the evening, Flandermeyer collected a total of 26 points and game-high 15 rebounds. Harvard's defense worked magic on the Lions offense.

Columbia shot a scant .313 from the field, down from .500 in the first half.