Christine Clark’s passing 1000-point milestone and impressive play won the junior guard on the women’s basketball team the first Athlete of the Week honors of the new year, but several other athletes rang in 2013 with their own stellar performances, earning them recognition by The Back Page.
Jonah Travis, Men’s Basketball
Two days after notching nine points to help his team pull off an upset against Cal, the sophomore forward doubled his scoring average on the season against St. Mary’s, netting 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting to tie his career high. Although Harvard would drop the game, 70-69, after holding the upper hand for all but the final second, Travis’s performance helped the Crimson extend its lead to as large as 18 in the first half. The Minnesota native also tallied 10 points and four rebounds in Harvard’s rout of Rice, 92-62.
Siyani Chambers, Men’s Basketball
The freshman ball-handler recorded 19 points in the heartbreaker against the Gaels, including a perfect 5-5 from behind the arc. Chambers outscored St. Mary’s point guard Matthew Dellavedova, a member of the 2012 Australian Olympic team, by 15 points as the Crimson defense effectively shut him down for much of the evening. The rookie guard also posted a double-double against the Owls, tallying 14 points and 10 dimes on the night.
Victoria Lippert, Women’s Basketball
A clutch trey from Lippert put Harvard ahead of Rhode Island, 52-49, near the end of a hotly contested game. Crucial free throws by the senior guard and teammate Clark sealed the win for the Crimson, 63-56. With her 11-point performance, the San Diego native surpassed Emily Tay in the record books to move into 10th place for career points with 1,274 points. The veteran also helped her team blow past UMass, 85-59, on the second day of the new year, netting 17 points and tying her career-high of five assists.
Jillian Dempsey, Women’s Hockey
The senior co-captain led her team to an unblemished start to 2013 with victories over Union and Rensselaer, both on unfriendly ice. The trip to New York began with Dempsey matching her career-high of five points against the Dutchwomen, scoring twice and tallying three assists as Harvard bested Union, 9-0, marking its biggest margin of victory of the season. The forward added another assist against the Engineers, allowing junior forward Kalley Armstrong to one-time the puck past the RPI goaltender in a 2-1 victory.
Kelley Romatoski, Women’s Hockey
With the game against the Engineers tied at one apiece in the third period, the RPI goalie blocked a shot attempt, but before she could corral the puck to survive the Engineers’ penalty kill, sophomore forward Samantha Reber sent it up the ice to Romatoski. The senior slapped it past the goaltender into the back left of the net, giving the Crimson a 2-1 lead that it would not relinquish. The game-winner was the Romatoski’s fifth goal of the season. The defender also netted a goal and an assist against Union the previous night.
