"That was a bad way to start," Delaney-Smith said. "Maybe we got cocky, arrogant, lazy, or all three of these things. We shouldn't let that happen."

The Harvard defense seemed to be a step slow, frequently getting beaten down the court and giving up easy shots. Megan Buchanan in particular tore up the Crimson, leading all scorers with 26 points. McGinlay was also solid, hitting 5-of-7 from the field and scoring 12 points.

In the first half, the Crimson held Albany to just 22.2 percent shooting, while building up a 32-23 halftime lead. But in the second half, Harvard allowed the Great Danes to shoot 53.8 percent.

"It was definitely a game of ups and downs," said captain Laela Sturdy, who led all Crimson scorers with 17 points. "Overall, I think we were a little flat. We made a couple of defensive errors."

The Harvard offense was equally atrocious to begin the second half. The team hit only 1-of-15 shots before the Monti layup. With the inside pressure tight, the Crimson was forced to take more outside shots than usual, and was unable to convert.

"That was an awful start to the second half." Sturdy said. "We were getting decent shots, they just weren't falling. We may not quite yet have our rhythm back after exams. That's why we have this game before the Ivy League schedule [resumes.]"

It was the timeout with 10:47 remaining and Harvard trailing 41-34 that turned the game back around.

"I was very angry at them," Delaney-Smith said. "I said a lot of bad, nasty things to them, and it worked."