W. Cagers Edge Minutewomen, 55-51

Junior shooting guard Erin Maher was on from the very beginning of last Saturday's contest against the University of Massachusetts.

"I was ready to come out and play tonight," she said.

That's precisely what she did. Maher scored a game-high 24 points, collected a team-high nine rebounds and set a new Harvard record for three-pointers in a single game with six, as she spurred the Crimson (3-4) to a 55-51 victory over the Minutewomen (3-5) at Briggs Cage.

The Crimson's first trip down the floor was a presage of things to come.

Junior center Debbie Flandermeyer's shot bounced off the right side of the rim but Maher gathered the rebound and buried a short baseline jumper.

On Harvard's next possession, Maher spotted up from just inside the three-point are on the right side and canned another shot to give Harvard the early 4-0 lead.

It was a good thing Maher was on a roll, too. By all rights, the Crimson should not have had to barely squeeze by an opponent that shot a dreadful .293 from the field.

But playing against weaker teams has been a problem for Harvard this season and UMass surprised the Crimson with its scrappy, hustling full-court press and physical man-to-man defense. The Crimson turned the ball over 18 times on the night and was out-rebounded, 39-32.

"We didn't know much about them except their record," Flandermeyer said.

"They out-hustled us in the first half," Maher said. "We didn't have their intensity."

Harvard shot a paltry .400 (10-25) from the floor during the first half. Maher contributed six of those field goals. She was 6-7 from the field and a phenomenal 4-5 from three-point range. Harvard entered intermission with a slim 27-25 advantage.

After the break, the Crimson came out strong and went on a 14-4 run that was capped by baskets from freshman forward Tammy Butler, Flandermeyer and Maher.

Six minutes into the second half Maher drilled her sixth trey, giving Harvard a 39-29 lead. Twenty-two of Harvard's 39 points had come from Maher.

"I felt great," Maher said. "I'd been tired the last couple of games, but tonight my legs were very loose and I was ready to run."

The Crimson could not hold its 10-point lead, however. The Minutewomen came storming back and tied the game, 43-43, at the 7:37 mark, on a Shawna Pemberton jumper.

With 2:50 left in the contest, UMass held a remakable 51-46 advantage--remarkable in light of their dismal .275 (8-29) shooting from the field in the second half.

"We had a lot of open shots tonight," UMass coach Joanie O'Brien said. "If we could've put them down, we'd have been okay. But we didn't make them."

Harvard's 3-2 zone clamped down in the final minutes and did not yield another basket.

On offense, Harvard made some clutch shots. With 2:50 remaining, Erin Maher drew a foul while charging the baseline and converted her two free throws, closing the gap to 51-48.

One minute later, Co-Captain Maura Healey buried a three-pointer to tie the game, 51-51.

With 1:30 remaining in the game, Debbie Flandermeyer was poked in the eye and was forced to leave the game. Freshmen Nikole Cronk entered the game and sank both substitute free throws.

UMass still had a chance to win with a minute left, but Healey stole the ball and worked precious seconds off the clock.

Sophomore guard Kelly Morrison sealed the win with two foul shots.

"I'm very proud we ended this game with a win," Harvard Coach Kathy Delaney Smith said. "I thought Erin Maher had a phenomenal game. She's doing a tremendous job offensively and defensively."

Coach Delaney Smith also praised her young players.

"We're a very young team and it's asking a lot of freshmen and sophomores to play in pressure situations," Delaney Smith said. "Tammy, Nikole and Kelly really rose to the occasion."

NOTEBOOK: Co-Captain Heather Harris, sidelined for much of this season with an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament of her knee, saw 15 minutes of action...Maher's two free throws against UMass make her a perfect 18-18 from the charity stripe this season...Flandermeyer blocked six shots...Butler had 10 points and seven rebounds...Nikole Cronk tallied eight points in 17 minutes.