Women’s Basketball Suffers Heartbreak at the Buzzer to Princeton

In a thrilling showdown for Ivy League supremacy, Harvard Women’s Basketball team (12-2, 1-1 Ivy League) endured a heartbreaking, last-second 52-50 defeat to the Princeton Tigers (11-4, 2-0 Ivy) at Jadwin Gymnasium this Saturday.

The win marked Princeton’s fifth straight over Harvard as the Crimson have not won at Jadwin since 2014.

Senior Elena Rodriguez spearheaded Harvard’s offense with an impressive 22 points on 11-of-18 shooting, though her final attempt – one that narrowly missed – will undoubtedly linger.

Harvard’s aggressive defensive press hounded Princeton’s ball handlers early, forcing turnovers and establishing a quick 6-0 lead. The Tigers regained composure, tightened up its ball control, and leaned on its steadfast man defense to even the score at 8-8.

Following a Crimson timeout, Turner took command of the offense, setting up freshman Alayna Rocco for a trey and completing an and-one.

The Tigers remained resilient, keeping pace with the Crimson’s offense. The final two minutes of the quarter brought a flurry of intensity, as both teams battled fiercely for loose balls and defended their baskets relentlessly. Junior Saniyah Glenn-Bello stood out during this stretch, forcing two crucial turnovers. Despite Harvard’s efforts, Princeton ended the quarter with a narrow 15-14 lead.

Glenn-Bello opened the second quarter with a key basket to reclaim the lead for Harvard, but the Crimson offense faltered soon after, managing just 2-for-13 shooting and a season low four points in the period. The Tigers comfortably advanced past the Crimson press, executing an 8-0 run that forced Coach Moore to call timeout. Despite the break, Harvard’s offensive struggles persisted, allowing the Tigers to head into halftime with a comfortable 25-18 advantage.

Sophomore Fadima Tall drained a three-pointer to start the third quarter, extending Princeton’s lead to double digits. Harvard settled down, dialing up the defensive intensity and igniting an 8-2 run that prompted a Princeton timeout. Senior Elena Rodriguez anchored the Harvard offense, contributing eight points in the period. Despite the surge, Harvard couldn’t close the gap further, entering the final period trailing 39-34.

Turner sliced through the Tigers’ defense and squeezed the ball past two defenders for a Rodriguez layup to start the fourth quarter. The senior tandem combined for an unstoppable pick-and-roll game, cutting the deficit to 42-40. Sophomore Karlee White finally delivered the tying basket but a quick Princeton response led to a Harvard timeout.

The squads continued to battle and trade baskets until Rodriguez poked away a Princeton pass, converting down the other lane to finally regain Harvard the lead. However, a costly Turner foul conceded Princeton free throws to tie the game at 50-50 with 2:17 remaining. From this point, the offenses stalled, though Harvard seemingly earned the final possession of the game after a clutch stop from Glenn-Bello.

With 23 seconds remaining, Rodriguez saved a possible inbound violation and found herself with the ball again in the waning seconds of the match. She spun inside for a seemingly open layup until Princeton’s Parker Hill blocked her from behind and a jump ball call gave Princeton possession with 3.7 seconds.

Coming off the timeout, Turner lost sight of Princeton’s Ashley Chea for a brief moment, allowing her to drive past her. A quick side step from Chea avoided a Rodriguez contest as she swished the game winning jumper and the Princeton crowd erupted. The teams exchanged handshakes, marking the end of an electrifying contest with Princeton prevailing 52-50.

For Princeton, the win solidifies their early-season dominance while Harvard looks ahead to bounce back against Brown at home next Saturday, January 18th at 2:00 PM. Harvard will meet the Tigers again on February 28th in an all important matchup for seeding in the conference tournament in March.

—Staff writer Oscar E. Mercado can be reached at oscar.mercado@thecrimson.com.