Cserny and Monti lit up the scoreboard, amassing 22 and 21 points respectively. Monti contributed six assists at the point and Cserny put up nine boards. Tubridy seized 11 rebounds while junior Kate Ides grabbed seven and blocked three shots.

“We didn’t miss a beat in rebounding,” Monti said. “I picked up some of the scoring slack. Kate [Ides] actually did a great job. She just steps into that spot where Reka or Hana had been.”

In the second half, Harvard held on to its lead, though the Lions came within three with less than eight minutes remaining. But Columbia’s hopes of a comeback were swept away as Cserny went on a tear, scoring seven straight points to put the Crimson ahead 55-46 with 4:16 left. Cserny hit a three for a 58-49 Harvard advantage, and then hit the final shot of the game for a final score of 61-49.

“In every game there are going to be swings of momentum,” Tubridy said. “You have to be prepared for a team to outscore you on little [runs]. The key is to recognize that that’s going to happen, to not freak out when it happens, and stop it before they build up a lead.”

Harvard 77, Cornell 75

The Big Red entered Friday night half a game out of first, hoping to gain ground in its fight for what would be its first title in program history.

“We knew that it was ‘do or die’ for them,” Monti said.

Cornell’s (14-11, 8-4) support came in the form of 1,675 fans in Newman Arena on Friday night.

“The crowd made a huge difference for Cornell in terms of lifting the team,” Tubridy said.

With 2:37 left in regulation, the Crimson held at 62-50 lead that seemed to ensure victory. But Cornell struck back with a fury, forcing overtime with a 12-0 run that almost cost Harvard the game.

Cornell tri-captain Breean Walas led the charge, scoring two to begin the late rally. Walas added another basket after stripped Monti in the back court, plus three points from free throws. Tri-captain Do Stevens hit a trey to bring the Big Red within two and junior Ify Ossai knotted the game at 62 with two free throws. A Harvard turnover gave Cornell a final shot to win the game in regulation, as Walas missed a jumper as the buzzer sounded.

“We got a little bit too conservative,” Monti said. “We tried to take time off the clock too early. That was a huge error on our part.”

The drama didn’t end with regulation. The Big Red held a precarious lead with 2:15 to go in the first overtime, when Cserny stepped in with three free throws and Peljto tallied two, giving the Crimson a 69-66 advantage with 1:26 remaining.