It was there that the Crimson drew the line, though. Behind Butler, who lifted her inside moves to a new level, and Frey, who hit a key three-pointer to put a stop to another late Cornell run, Harvard extended the lead to 18.
At that point, with 1:45 on the clock, Butler took a pass in the paint, pivoted around her Big Red defender and hit a five-foot bank shot to give Harvard a commanding 72-52 lead and herself a place in the record book; she became the first Crimson player ever to reach the 1,000-point milestone in her junior season.
"It was fun to get the record, but it was even more fun because it took place in such a fun game," Butler said. "That's one to remember."
Cornell would score five points in the final 1:45, but it would be of no avail.
The Crimson would get its 26th and sweetest win over the Big Red in 31 tries, and it would relish it.
"This is a serious boost to our confidence," tri-captain Catherine Crisera said. "We know what we can do now and I think we realize again just how much fun it is to win. It's been a long time."
Harvard will face Columbia tonight at 6 p.m. at Brigg's Cage. In 17 games against the Lions, the Crimson has never lost.