Boxscore
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.
(2/20/09) ? In a reversal of fortune, Princeton couldn't hang on to its
lead, as Harvard battled back and
controlled the second half to walk away with a 54-50 win at Lavietes Pavilion
on Friday, Feb. 20.
Each team dominated a half with Princeton
controlling the first and Harvard taking the second. Harvard shot 14.8 percent
in the first and 55.2 percent in the second, while Princeton
shot 56.5 percent in the first and 20 percent in the second.
"They scored 26 points in the paint and we gave up 16 offensive rebounds," Coach Banghart said. "It was a very physical game and in the second half we went really cold. We're progressing, and the hardest thing is to learn some of these lessons while getting a win. We've learned a lot of lessons this year, but we've lost a lot of games to do it."
Princeton had a 19-point
lead at halftime, 34-15, and was up by as much as 22 during the first half. Harvard
shot 1-for-21 (4.8 percent) in the first 15:26.
The ball was as slippery as a banana peel in the first three
minutes as the teams combined for six missed shots and five turnovers. Once
Lauren Edwards layed in the ball at 16:49 it was all Princeton
for the remainder of the half.
Harvard had a basket at 15:25 but would be held scoreless
for the next 4:38 as Princeton ran the sore to
16-2 at 11:43. The Tigers would add 12 more points onto to their side of the
scoreboard, while the Crimson's four baskets came off of free throws, to set
the score at 28-6 with just under five minutes to play.
Emma Markley was finally able to end Harvard's nearly
11-minute drought from the field with a layup at 4:33. Nikki Finelli and
Jessica Berry each drained three pointers, to make it 34-13 at 1:52. Berry added her fourth
three of the night shortly thereafter, matching a career high, and Harvard
closed out the first half scoring with a pair of free throws.
The second half was much like the first half, but the teams
were reversed. Princeton could manage only two
baskets from the field in the first 14 minutes as Harvard scored 23 points to
cut the lead to one, 39-38 at 6:24.
A jumper by Brogan Berry
gave Harvard the lead, 40-39 at 5:06 and Markley added a basket to make it
42-39.
Whitney Downs ended the Tigers' nearly eight-minute scoring
drought with back-to-back free throws at 4:17 to make it 42-41. Harvard went up
by as much as four before Princeton regained the lead off an Edwards' three-pointer
following a Downs steal to make it 47-46 with 1:43 to play. Harvard scored
back-to-back baskets to regain a three-point lead but Addie Micir answered with
a ball from long range to even the game at 50-50 with 54 seconds on the clock.
Markley put Harvard in the positive with a layup at 00:36
and Princeton missed its shot on its next
possession leading to a foul with nine seconds to send Markley to the line. She
made both of her free throws to make it a two-possession game. Princeton had one last chance but missed on a layup to
end the game, 54-50.
Three players ended the game in double figures for Princeton, led by Edwards with 15. Downs added 13 points
and Berry had
12, all of which came in the first. Edwards and Berry both had a team-best five rebounds,
and Micir and Allgood had four apiece. Princeton
shot 37.5 percent from the field, 36.8 percent from long range and 63.8 percent
from the free throw line.
Harvard was paced by Markley's 16 points, 12 of which came
in the second half, and she also had a game-high eight boards. Berry and Finelli each
contributed seven points, while Claire Wheeler had seven rebounds. The Crimson
shot 35.7 percent from the field, 27.3 percent from behind the arc and 61.1
percent from the free throw line.
Princeton falls to 9-13 overall and 4-4 in the Ivy League
and will take on Dartmouth
tomorrow at 7 p.m. The Big Green earned a 55-36 win over Penn earlier this
evening. Harvard is now 14-8 overall and 6-2 in the league.
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