“It was a game that should have been ours,” Berry said.
IOWA 90, HARVARD 81
A career high 28-point performance from sophomore guard Christine Clark wasn’t enough to carry Harvard to a season-opening victory on Saturday night.
After a dominant first-half performance in which the Crimson led by as many as 14, a second-half charge by Iowa (1-1) put Harvard in an insurmountable hole, and it fell to the Hawkeyes, 90-81, in the opening round of the Hawkeye Challenge.
The Hawkeyes returned four starters from a squad that made its fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament last spring. Add to that the 11th-ranked recruiting class in the country, and Iowa was clearly a formidable opponent to begin the Crimson’s year.
The Ivy League representatives gained an early 9-5 advantage, thanks to a three-pointer from junior forward Miriam Rutzen and a pair of buckets from Clark. The Hawkeyes knotted the score at nine before Harvard exploded on a 19-5 run.
A second three from Rutzen, a traditional three-point play from Clark, and buckets from sophomore guard/forward Missy Mullins and Berry helped catapult the Crimson to a 28-14 advantage 10 minutes into the first half.
The Hawkeyes cut the lead to eight before Clark connected on a three to put Harvard up, 33-22. Iowa chipped away from that point forward; they trailed, 40-37, at the break after scoring the last six points of the half.
Iowa capitalized on a few Harvard turnovers right out of the break. The two sides traded baskets for much of the half, and the score was tied at 55 with just over 11 minutes to play.
But the Hawkeyes were stronger down the stretch. Led by junior guard Jaime Printy, who put in 24 points, Iowa opened up a 10-point lead.
Clark stopped the bleeding with back-to-back buckets, and the Crimson was down, 75-68, with 4:30 to play. But the Hawkeyes held strong, and Harvard couldn’t muster a comeback.
“I was pretty happy with everything we did. We just didn’t end up with the win,” Delanie-Smith said.
It was a career day for Mullins, who dropped 12 points. Clark also tied her career-high, pouring in 28 points.