Fresh Faces Solidify Ivy Victory for Women's Basketball

The Harvard women’s basketball team knocked off its second Ivy League foe in as many days on Saturday behind strong performances from senior Laura Robinson and freshman Katie Rollins.

The Crimson (7-11, 3-2 Ivy) dominated Cornell with an improved defense and red-hot three-point shooting to grab an 80-71 victory.

Rollins, a strong inside threat, sat for much of the first half because she incurred two quick fouls.

In the second frame, however, her strong post moves and light touch helped Harvard quell potential threats from the pesky Big Red (6-13, 3-3) who often threatened to close the 5-10 point deficit, yet never seemed to be able to close the deal. Rollins notched a career-high 19 points and 9 rebounds in one of the best performances of her collegiate career.

“I’m just so excited for Katie,” co-captain Maureen McCaffery said. “She’s going to have a great career and she’s had a great freshman year, especially after coming off her injury.

“I think she has the nicest touch I’ve ever seen in the post,” she added.

After finding itself overmatched on the boards for much of the early season schedule, Harvard finally put together an entire game of solid rebounding and consistent offense.

The Crimson grabbed 28 total rebounds, seven of them on offense.

During the second half, Harvard increased its defensive pressure and held Cornell’s powerful freshman forward, Jeomi Maduka, to only six points. Maduka scored 11 in the first half for a team-high total of 17 points.

The Crimson completed the first half with a 41-33 lead, led mainly by Robinson, who tallied 17 of her 23 points in the first half.

The senior guard shot 100 percent (4-4) from behind the arc in the first frame, helping her team achieve a blazing 80 percent mark on three-pointers for the half. The Big Red was only 1-of-6 on first-half threes.

Robinson showcased her leadership and playmaking abilities during the weekend, as Friday night’s game saw her totaling six assists and zero points, while Saturday’s game demonstrated her shooting talent.

“Laura had zero points last night, but she’s been the most consistent of anyone on the team,” Harvard coach Kathy Delaney-Smith said. “We didn’t need her to score last night, so that’s okay. Laura’s a player who does not take bad shots...They must have looked at the Columbia box score and said Laura can’t score.”

If so, they thought wrong.

Although the Big Red narrowed the gap to one point with five minutes left in the first frame, Harvard calmly responded with a Robinson three-pointer, followed by a layup and block by freshman center Emma Moretzsohn.

Cornell would not come closer than three for the rest of the way.

The inside freshman duo opened up the perimeter for shooters like co-captain Maureen McCaffery, who finished with seven points, and sophomore Lindsay Hallion, who totaled nine.

With Moretzsohn and Rollins just beginning to hit their stride and several other young forwards ready to make an impact, it looks like the Crimson should be a force down low for years to come.

“Rollins is still a freshman and she’s got lots to learn, Delaney-Smith said. “Still, even with lots to learn she’s darn tough in the low post. She potentially could be one of the best low post players to ever play here. She’s not alone there—as soon as Emma gets strong, they’re on their way to great careers. Adrian Budischak, Liz Tindal—we have great power inside.”

Harvard will showcase its inside skills at Princeton on Friday night, followed by a game at Penn on Saturday.

For now, both coach and team are pleased with strong performances from this weekend.

“I liked our game plan, we stuck to our game plan, it was a team effort, we hit our shots,” Delaney-Smith said. “I’m thrilled with this weekend. I’m happy.”

—Staff writer Julie R. S. Fogarty can be reached at fogarty2@fas.harvard.edu.