Harvard Controls Destiny at Home

Dashing hopes, crushing dreams, quashing expectations, are a few words that come to mind when Harvard fans think of the Yale women’s basketball team. Two years ago the Bulldogs handed the Crimson (17-8, 9-2 Ivy) their only loss, upsetting a perfect season. Then, to add stale icing to an already unsavory cake, around this time last year, Yale devastated Crimson optimism by ripping sole possession of the top spot in the Ivy standings out of its grasp.

“I think this is a very emotionally charged weekend,” co-captain Niki Finelli said.” The feeling of last year really motivates us.”

This weekend, the squad has a shot at redemption, as it welcomes both Brown (3-23, 1-11) and Yale (11-15, 4-8) to Lavietes Pavilion.

“We have a huge history with Yale”, co-captain Emily Tay said. “They are always the team that beats us, so we always treat them like one of top teams.”

With the second best record in the Ivy League, Harvard is not only looking for redemption but a solid conclusion to their final home games. The Crimson controls its own desinty, and the team can move into the top spot with three wins in its next three games. In the last two weeks, Harvard has looked to diversify its offensive attack by strengthening its presence in the paint. With notoriously strong perimeter play, the Crimson has shifted some of the scoring responsibilities from its guards to its forwards.

“It all depends on how they decide to play us,” Finelli said. “If they try to guard our post players during the game, we’ll kick it up top but we’re always able to change up play during the game.”

Over the past three games, forward Emma Markley has spearheaded the Crimson offense posting 23 points against Penn, 13 points against Columbia and 13 points against Cornell. Harvard looks to surprise both teams, by debuting a different style of play than displayed in the teams’ previous meetings.

Although plagued by an 11-game losing streak, Brown—with its deep bench and tenacious drive—could still be a threat to Crimson hopes. Ten different players have led the Bears in scoring this season.

The Bears won their first league game at Yale, but have dropped every game since. The squad comes into Lavietes dying for a win before season’s end, and a painful overtime loss to Penn last weekend only added fuel to the fire.

Last time the two squads met, four Harvard players posted double figures. Freshman Brogan Berry tallied 17 points on 5-for-6 shooting, while Finelli led the team with seven boards. In the end the Crimson defeated the Bears 71-46.

The Bulldogs are coming off a flip flop weekend. The team ended a three-game losing streak last Friday against Penn, but then lost to Princeton the next day.

“Despite their record, Yale is always a threat”, Tay said. “Even though their record isn’t that good this year, they have always been a problem, so we always look out for them.”

Yale is the best free throw shooting team in the Ivy League, posting 72.7 percent from the charity stripe. The Bulldogs have also built a wall around three point land, holding its opponents to 28 percent from beyond the arch. In its last meeting with Yale, the Crimson didn’t score a single three pointer. The game should break down as a typical offense vs. defense matchup, as Harvard possesses the best perimeter shooting in the Ivy League and Yale, the best perimeter defense in the league.

In the last meeting, Tay led the squad with a game-high 19 points and five assists, while Berry tallied 18 points. Sophomore Jackie Alemany wasn’t far behind, scoring a career-high 13 points, collecting six steals and grabbing a team-high seven rebounds to help defeat the Bulldogs 70-63.

Despite high hopes, the Crimson goes into the weekend with Finelli on the injured list with a torn ACL. The senior, who has been a leader on the court since freshman year, will complete her Harvard career cheering on her teammates.

“Her injury just gives us extra motivation,” Tay said. “We are going to play for her.”

—Staff writer Evan Kendall can be reached at kendall@fas.harvard.edu.