That, Berry hopes, will change starting Tuesday.
“We’re really starting to focus our energy on being better teammates,” Berry said. “That involves being a better defensive and rebounding team because [defense and rebounding] were definitely our weak points in the past three years.”
A strong defensive effort will be a key factor in beating the Rams on Tuesday. In its first four games this season, Rhode Island has displayed a balanced scoring attack. Junior guard Ajannae Boone has not started a single game for the Rams but leads the team in scoring and is one of four players who average more than eight points per game.
Berry thinks the leadership of returning players will also help the Crimson get its first tally in the wins column.
“[Sophomore guard Christine Clark and I] definitely bring a sense of intensity and passion for the game,” Berry said. “I think if everybody can stem from that, our scoring, defense, rebounding, and passing will come. Hopefully everybody can bring that same level of intensity.”
But Berry believes that most importantly, the Crimson needs to focus on its own abilities instead of Rhode Island’s talents.
“We really need to focus on playing Harvard basketball,” Berry said. “We’re not going to lose to our opponents, we’re going to lose to ourselves.”