According to the Crimson, it’s not all about the destination. It’s about how you get there.

The Harvard women’s basketball team traveled to Boulder, Colo. for the Omni Hotels Classic, taking on New Orleans and Colorado University in the two-day tournament.

Despite thin air and a weary squad, the Crimson (3-3) dispatched the Privateers, 60-57, on Friday night before falling to the heavily-favored Buffaloes, 67-65, on Saturday.

Both contests remained close until the final buzzer, but junior co-captain Claire Wheeler suggested that the back-and-forth games were decided by sustained play, not last-minute heroics.

“Honestly, it’s not as much about the end,” Wheeler said of the loss to Colorado. “We made errors that we could have controlled, and that would not have put is in position to be that close at the end. Throughout the game, we just need to clean it up and become more consistent.”

Although Wheeler expressed frustration that Harvard let Saturday’s game slip away, the junior deemed the weekend a success, as the Crimson not only earned a split but also proved that it can keep pace with more heralded programs.

“At this point in the season, Colorado should be blowing people out, but we hung in there and could have beaten them,” Wheeler said. “Everything didn’t go our way…but we never gave up. The team really battled and everyone was there for each other.”

COLORADO 67, HARVARD 65

The Buffaloes (5-1) entered the tournament championship on a roll, but it was the Crimson that came out firing. The visiting squad jumped out to an 8-0 lead and kept its foot on the pedal thanks to a number of key performances. Junior Emma Markley posted a team-high 24 points, freshman Victoria Lippert added 14, and junior Jackie Alemany grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds.

Still, Harvard could not subdue the Buffaloes, who consistently overcame large deficits and netted the decisive basket with five seconds remaining.

“We had a great start to the first and second halves, and the goal is to sustain that energy,” Wheeler said. “One goal we did reach was that we outrebounded Colorado…We’re trying to improve all around, but the rebounds are a good start.”

The Crimson finished the contest with a 34-31 edge on the glass, but it was not enough to keep the Buffalo offense at bay. Colorado responded to Harvard’s opening 8-0 run with three consecutive three-pointers, setting the tone for a game marked by streaky scoring.

Despite another Crimson eight-point spurt, the Buffaloes took a 33-32 lead into the locker room.

With the Colorado offense finding its footing, Harvard turned to its defense in the second half to keep the contest close.

The Crimson stole the ball on consecutive possessions, giving Markley two easy buckets and turning a slim deficit into a 39-35 lead with 17:34 remaining. Markley also notched four blocks, pushing her tournament-record total to 10 on the weekend.