“We came out and knew that we needed to take risks and play more aggressively in order to stay in the ball game,” Curtis said. “We started taking chances defensively and making them feel uncomfortable.”

But in a theme that would repeat throughout the afternoon, Maine stemmed the damage with the combination of tight defense and Wood’s offensive play. Six minutes later, the Black Bears recaptured a 16-point lead.

“As a team, we were not able to combine our offensive scores with defensive stops,” junior forward AnnMarie Healy said. “They hit some very good shots and ran a very disciplined offense.”

The Crimson also began the first half with play that encouraged a burst of hope. Forty seconds into the game, McDonnell drilled a three-pointer to put Harvard up 3-2.

However, it was the last lead of the day for the Crimson. After falling behind 20-10 with six minutes left in the first half, Harvard would never get within single digits of Maine.

Despite trading baskets with the Black Bears to close out the game, the Crimson never came closer than 19 points to Maine’s lead.

“After the game in the locker room, we talked about how in these next few weeks everyone has to look in the mirror, identify [her] weakness, and then make a change, make it [a] strength,” Healy said. “It’s a tough loss, but we are tougher.”