Athlete of the Week: Hana Peljto '04

Before this season, the list of the greatest single-game scoring performances in Harvard women’s basketball history could just as well have been titled “A Tribute to the Life and Triumphs of Allison Feaster ’98,” given that Feaster’s name blanketed the top seven spots.

Not anymore.

On Saturday in front of 1,727 fans at Lavietes Pavilion, sophomore forward Hana Peljto notched a career-high 36 points in Harvard’s 88-77 Ivy-opening victory over Dartmouth, matching Feaster for the second-highest point total all-time. She is topped only by Feaster’s 39-point effort against Loyala on Dec. 7, 1997.

Peljto’s 21.9 point-per-game average this season ranks first in the Ivy League and ninth in the nation.

But history and statistics aside, Peljto’s performance was crucial to a Harvard victory over a rival Dartmouth team that was considered to be among the Crimson’s top competition for the Ivy crown this year.

“It’s a classic Harvard-Dartmouth matchup. Their adrenaline is out of the gym, and that always helps performance,” said Harvard Coach Kathy Delaney-Smith, whose eyes widened when she saw Peljto’s final statistics.

“It’s one of the biggest rivalries in the Ivy League and it means a lot to the seniors and to us to win this game,” Peljto said.

The tape from the Dartmouth game will be watched by future Harvard opponents to see what doesn’t work against Peljto, especially during a six-minute stretch crossing the halftime break when she scored 17 points in a row for Harvard to extend a 32-25 lead to 49-37.

Dartmouth consistently gave Peljto wide-open looks from behind the arc and even left her uncovered in the low post on one occassion. She did not miss.

“My teammates found me open and I hit my shots. I didn’t realize I had that many [points],” Peljto said.

In the first half alone, Peljto scored 23 points, just five short of her career high. She exploited the Big Green defense for six offensive rebounds which led to 10 points, six of which came on free throws.

Peljto shot 7-of-7 from the line for the night to propel her team’s free-throw percentage to 77.6, good for fifth in the nation. She has shot 85 percent from the line this season.

Peljto would have broken Feaster’s scoring record had Dartmouth not forced her into foul trouble, which led to four minutes on the bench late in the second half. Harvard’s double-digit lead, which led to a minute of garbage time at the end, was also a conflicting factor.

But a record-setting game seems to be inevitable in Peljto’s future. She has taken her game to another level in rebounding and defense following a spectacular Ivy Rookie of the Year campaign.

Senior guard Jenn Monti, whose 6.7 assists-per-game average ranks tenth in the nation, was full of optimism after the game. She believes that if future opponents were to give more attention to Peljto, then she, freshman Reka Cserny—who scored 33 herself on Jan. 2—and sophomore forward Tricia Tubridy would be more than capable of picking up the slack. If this turns out to be true, Peljto’s scoring numbers will stay high, and the Crimson won’t be stopped.

“It’s shaping up. I think we’re going to be tough to beat,” Monti said.