Usually starting a basketball game with a 20-1 run over the first 10 minutes is a good thing.

But in the case of the exam-fatigued Harvard women's basketball team, the early success set the Crimson back. Harvard's once solid defense fell completely apart and its shooting went cold as Albany outscored the struggling Crimson 40-14 over the next 20 minutes.

But the Crimson came back. Two steals by sophomore guard Jenn Monti ignited a furious 18-0 rally that put Harvard up 52-41 with 5:43 left. The Crimson (10-5, 3-0 Ivy) held on this time, defeating the Great Danes (5-14) by a score of 68-57.

"I was proud if their comeback," Harvard Coach Kathy Delaney-Smith said. "I can never predict what we'll do this particular game year-in and year-out, so I'll take the win."

Before the first Monti steal, Harvard had scored one basket in the last 11:11. But then she swatted the ball away from Albany freshman Jess McGinlay, and drove in for the easy layup. The basket energized a crowd that had fallen dead silent up until then.

On the Great Dane's next possession, senior guard Courtney Egelhoff got the rebound off of a missed Albany shot, and was fouled over the back on the rebound. She hit two free throws on the one-in-one to cut the Albany lead to three.

Then after the subsequent inbound pass, Monti stole the ball again and was immediately fouled. She kept up the Crimson's clutch free-throw shooting, hitting both shots on a one-and-one to bring Harvard within one.

"I think player-to-player we matched up well on the outside with them," Monti said. "Our plan was to pressure them and force them to the left every time, and I felt they were handing it a bit."