BOSTON--Northeastern's All-America-caliber guard Tesha Tinsley didn't show up in the first half of the Huskies' game against the Harvard women's basketball team on Saturday.

Well, she was technically on the floor, but she wasn't playing her A-game. She had just two points, one rebound, one assist and one steal in 19 minutes as the Huskies rode a 30-26 edge into halftime.

By the end of the game, however, she had scored 18 points, grabbed four rebounds, dished out three assists and picked the ball off three times to lift Northeastern to a scorching 61-42 win. The Huskies stopped Harvard's (6-4) three-game win streak, and even that stat line didn't tell the whole story.

In the first half, despite the numbers, you could tell that Tinsley was the best player on the floor; she just didn't want to put out the effort. If she comes to play, Northeastern (5-5) wins. If she doesn't, the Huskies don't.

"We knew she was a good player," said Harvard captain Laela Sturdy. "She has the potential to turn it on and off. She definitely came out ready to play in the second half."

In the second half Tinsley seemed to decide that this game was worth her time. She began driving into the Harvard zone, hitting pull-up jumpers or threading wrap-around assists to breaking teammates. The 5'6 senior guard started crashing the boards, undaunted by Harvard's towering frontcourt.

I saw Allison Feaster '98 play just once or twice, but I think her presence in the Crimson lineup must have been much like Tinsley's in the Husky lineup. They are both players who have another level that no one else on the court can even dream of attaining.

Feaster had the ability to make the other players on her team better, not to mention the ability to carry the team.