“We’re just going to keep on focusing on what we do well rather than adjust to what they do well,” Delaney-Smith said of the trip. “We know what we have to do against them.”

While the interior play was dominant, Harvard had also controlled much of the perimeter play as well. The hosts shot an impressive 53 percent from the field on Saturday, surpassing that with a 56 percent mark from beyond the arc.

“The big key in this game was playing together, playing as a team, and distributing the ball well,” Bush explained.

Sophomore Katie Benzan had yet another impressive performance against Cornell, leading all scorers with 20 points, and knocking down 5-7 three-pointers. The Wellesley Hills, Mass., native also chipped in with seven assists, one of which led to an exciting buzzer beater.

In the dying seconds of the first quarter, Benzan corralled a loose rebound, and tossed it up to Skinner, who dribbled the length of the court to lay the ball in just as the buzzer sounded, giving the Crimson a commanding 19-9 lead entering the second quarter.

The Big Red entered Saturday’s game on a skid, losing two straight and four of its past five games, all by double digits. Sophomore guard Samantha Widmann, the team’s leading scorer, was contained for most of the game, as the stifling Harvard defense held her to 16 points on just 7-20 shooting.

The Crimson will have to remain solid on defense as the team hits the road for its first Ancient Eight road weekend. Penn and Princeton, which are tied for second in the league, will be a huge challenge for a Harvard team that is 10-0 at Lavietes, but 1-5 in true road games.

—Staff writer Amir Mamdani can be reached at amir.mamdani@thecrimson.com.