{shortcode-82b243216cedee9d5d216f8540cf635f5297743d}

Harvard women’s basketball (20-3, 9-2 Ivy) prevailed on the road 60-57 over Brown (10-14, 4-7) in a game that came down to the wire — securing the team’s spot in the Ivy Madness Tournament in the process.

In the 20th win for the team this season, senior guard Harmoni Turner put together a stellar all-around performance, tallying 23-7-5 points-rebounds-assists while senior forward Elena Rodriguez added 15 points and 6 rebounds to fuel the Crimson’s victory.

Harvard got off to a shaky start, turning the ball over on its first two possessions, while Turner misfired on her first four attempts. The early struggles left the Crimson trailing 7-2. Turner finally broke through, using a Rodriguez screen to create space for a smooth jumper. The ensuing possession, she delivered a cross-court pass to Rodriguez, who knocked down a deep jumper — just shy of a three-pointer with her foot on the line — cutting the deficit to 7-6.

The Bears broke through the Crimson press for a basket, briefly halting Harvard’s momentum. But Turner responded with another jumper off a Rodriguez screen. Moments later, Harvard’s full court press forced a turnover, setting up sophomore Abigail Wright for a layup that gave Harvard its first lead of the game 10-9.

The teams traded triples but Brown’s efficiency from the free throw line, hitting 5-of-6 in the quarter, gave the Bears a 17-13 lead after one.

Harvard again struggled to open in the second quarter, shooting 0-for-5 and committing three turnovers. The miscues fueled an 8-0 Brown run, extending the Bears’ lead to a game high 25-13. Desperately needing a basket, junior captain Katie Krupa stepped up and buried a deep three-pointer from way downtown.

Krupa’s three ignited the Crimson offense, sparking a swift 7-2 run capped by a Krupa assist to freshman Alayna Rocco for a triple, cutting the lead to 26-23. Brown’s Grace Arnolie answered with a three-pointer of her own, keeping Harvard at bay as the Crimson trailed 31-27 at halftime.

The Bears continued shooting lights out to open the third quarter, knocking down back-to-back three-pointers. Turner momentarily slowed Brown’s momentum, penetrating the defense for a tough left-handed layup, but Brown’s free throw success pushed its lead to 39-29.

Freshman guard Karlee White took control of the Crimson offense, assisting Turner and Rocco on back-to-back treys that cut the lead to single digits. Harvard’s senior tandem also stepped up, executing their lethal pick-and-roll and capitalizing on Brown’s foul trouble for easy free throws, eventually knotting the game at 40-40.

White sank a jumper from the top of the key to put the Crimson back in front, but the lead was short-lived as Brown responded with another three-pointer. In the final minute, Turner found Rocco for an open triple, freed up by a well-timed screen from White. Moments later, she intercepted an errant Brown inbound pass and converted a layup, giving Harvard a 47-43 lead heading to the fourth quarter.

Jumpers from Rodriguez and Wright extended Harvard’s lead to 51-43 early in the fourth quarter. Harvard struggled from the field, but its aggressive drives earned frequent trips to the free throw line that helped keep the Bears at bay. White set up Rodriguez for a crafty reverse layup, pushing Harvard’s lead to 56-50.

However, the Crimson went cold from the field, failing to score for the next four minutes. The Crimson’s stingy defense limited the damage during this stretch, but Harvard finally relinquished its lead with 30 seconds remaining after an Arnolie layup and free throws.

Following a timeout, Turner demanded the ball be in her hands, driving down the lane and dishing to Rodriguez for a clutch layup that put Harvard back on top. With under 10 seconds left, Brown’s Gianna Aiello caught a pass that narrowly evaded Rodriguez’s reach in the paint, but she missed the open left-handed layup. Turner then sealed the win at the free-throw line, securing Harvard’s 60-57 victory.

Despite reaching the 60-point mark for the ninth straight game, the Crimson struggled offensively, shooting just 38.3% from the field. A significant factor in Harvard’s shooting struggles was its reliance on the three-point shot, accounting for half of its field goal attempts. Harvard also felt the absence of junior guard Saniyah Glenn-Bello, the team’s third leading scoring and defensive anchor, who was sidelined due to injury. Despite the struggles, the team’s 12 offensive rebounds and 17 second-chance points – far outpacing Brown’s three – proved vital in securing the gritty victory.

The win paired with Princeton’s home loss to Columbia leaves the two squads tied for second place in the Ivy League. This sets up a crucial showdown next Friday’s matchup, where the winner claims second place outright. The Crimson returns to Lavietes for the pivotal matchup against Princeton next Friday at 8:00 PM, followed by a Saturday night clash with Penn at 7:00 PM.

—Staff writer Oscar E. Mercado can be reached at oscar.mercado@thecrimson.com.