Remembering a Historic Season

Following the Harvard women's basketball team's season-ending loss to Arkansas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Arkansas Coach Gary Blair summed up Harvard's season more accurately than anyone else.

"Harvard is the American dream," Blair said. "Harvard is the chance for every coach out there in America to realize, 'We can.' You gotta believe, and I'm just as excited for Harvard as I am for our basketball team."

With his team headed to the Sweet Sixteen, Blair was just as excited for the Crimson as he was for his own Lady Razorbacks. That should give some indication as to how Harvard's season went.

Faced with the challenge of following last season's team, which registered the first undefeated conference record in Ivy League history, Harvard (23-5, 12-2 Ivy) made more school, Ivy and--most importantly--national history in its 1997-98 campaign.

After capturing its third consecutive Ivy League championship--the first time any team has won three straight outright Ivy titles--Harvard made its third appearance in the NCAA Tournament the charm. The Crimson became the first 16 seed ever to defeat a one seed in the men's or women's Tournament by stunning fifth-ranked Stanford, 71-67, in its first-round matchup.

"It was the greatest season of my life," co-captain Megan Basil said.

The victory over the Cardinal was the defining mark in a year of record-setting performances for Harvard. Aside from its sixth overall Ivy title, the Crimson also established a season record for wins with 23 and kept alive its home winning streak--which currently stands at 22--for next year's team to continue. Harvard finished the regular season ranked second in the country in three-point field goals per game (7.6) and 12th in winning percentage (.846).

Although Harvard had its string of consecutive Ivy League victories snapped at Princeton on Feb. 7, the streak is set at 32 and should not be approached for a long time, if at all.

The class of `98 has left its legacy on Harvard basketball as well. Megan Basil, Sarah Brandt, Allison Feaster, Karun Grossman and Alison Seanor will graduate as the winningest class in Harvard basketball history, men's or women's, and the winningest class in Ivy play in league history. In their four years, they compiled an overall record of 82-26 (.759 winning percentage), an Ivy record of 50-6 (.893), an overall home record of 43-7 (.860) and a home Ivy record of 27-1 (.964).

The only non-conference setbacks that Harvard suffered were losses to Maryland and South Carolina, leaving the Crimson at 9-1 heading into the Ivy League season. Harvard hit a pair of stumbling blocks there as well--including a loss to Dartmouth in its regular-season finale--which only set the stage for the Crimson's postseason drama.

But the 1997-98 season was not just about team accolades. There were plenty of individual honors as well. And nearly all of them went to Feaster, the woman who firmly established herself as the greatest basketball player in the history of the Ivy League.

It seemed that Feaster was breaking records more often than she was playing games. The assault on the record books began on Nov. 29 against Mt. St. Mary's when, with two free throws, she became Harvard's all-time scoring leader.

Against Lehigh Feaster shattered the Ivy League career scoring record and pulled down career rebound number 1,000. Five days later in a contest against Yale in front of her home crowd, she became the first woman and only the second player ever to record 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in a career.

On Feb. 13, while playing in her 100th career game for Harvard, she broke the school's all-time rebounding record. One week later, in front of the largest home crowd of the last three years, she broke the Ivy single-season scoring record of 631 points; Feaster finished the season with 797.

Feaster capped her Harvard career with two dominating performances on national television versus Stanford and Arkansas. Her career totals speak for themselves: 2,312 points, 1,157 rebounds, 308 steals, 243 assists and 143 three-point field goals.

At Harvard Feaster ranks first all-time in scoring, rebounds and steals and second in three-pointers. In the Ivies she is first in career scoring, second in career rebounding, sixth in career threes, first in single-season rebound total and she recorded the fifth highest single-game scoring output ever in the league.

Feaster also led the nation in scoring this year with a 28.5 points per game average, capturing Harvard's first ever national scoring title. She also ranked 14th in rebounding and 16th in steals nationally.

For her stellar season, Feaster was named Ivy League Player of the Year for the third consecutive season, making her the only athlete--male or female in any sport--in Ivy history to earn Rookie of the Year honors in her freshman year and Player of the Year honors in each of the next three years.

Feaster was voted a Second-Team All-American by the Women's Basketball News Service and an Honorable Mention AP All-American.

She was also named to the Kodak District I All-Region Team, chosen to play in the WBCA Senior All-Star Game at the Final Four and selected to participate in the long-distance shootout at the 10th Annual College Slam Dunk & Three-Point Shooting Championships.

Feaster, though, was not the only team member to receive individual distinction.

Finishing 16th in the nation in three-point field goal percentage (44.1), junior Suzie Miller earned All-Ivy Honorable Mention honors and was named to the GTE/COSIDA All-District Second Team for the Northeast.

Miller was Harvard's second-leading scorer (9.2 points per game) and rebounder (4.8 rebounds per game), and she emerged as Feaster's heir apparent in terms of Harvard's on-the-floor leadership.

It was Miller who hit what is probably the biggest shot in Harvard basketball history when she drained a three-pointer with 46 seconds remaining against Stanford to effectively seal one of the biggest upsets in the history of college basketball.

"[This season] was just like a dream," Miller said. "If I had to pick one word to describe it, it would be, `History,' just like [The Crimson] headline read. It's almost like it was fated from the beginning to happen this way."

Basil led the new triangle offense through some early bumps to its near-flawless execution against Stanford. Seanor added some offense to her already solid defense, and finished the season as Harvard's leader in assists.

Grossman returned from injuries to both Achilles' tendons to display her long-distance shooting once again. Brandt solidified her role as the top Ivy sixth man, contributing relentless defense, aggressive rebounding and gorgeous backdoor passing along with her own perimeter prowess.

Attempting--along with Miller--to show the rest of the league that the departure of Harvard's seniors will not end the Crimson reign, juniors Rose Janowski and Sarah Russell and freshman point guard Lisa Kowal emerged as potent forces.

Russell and Kowal should join Janowski as starters next year, and the extended minutes for all three players will likely result in extended grief for opponents. Sophomores Laela Sturdy and Courtney Egelhoff also shone in relief duties, and both should contribute extensively next season, along with junior Kelly Kinneen.

Kowal's classmates also impressed.

Kristen Boike could spell Kowal next year. Before ankle surgery ended her season, Carrie Larkworthy brought back memories of a young Jessica Gelman '97, Harvard's all-time assists leader. And Jill Zitnik might be the best pure shooting talent Harvard has seen since Erin Maher `93-Zitnik converted 11 of 14 three-pointers for a .786 percentage from down-town.

With the historic victory over Stanford as the pinnacle, it was truly a magical season for the Harvard women's basketball team. History was made, the Feaster Era ended, Harvard gained the national respect it deserves and the Crimson's seniors left a tradition of excellence for the next generation to continue.

"We started the season with high expectations," Brandt said, "and we were fortunate enough to make those expectations into reality by the end of the season. As a senior, it's amazing to end our careers leaving such a legacy for the underclassmen to follow."