Women’s Basketball Dominates Penn, Harmoni Turner Becomes Fourth Program All-Time Scorer

Harvard women’s basketball (14-2, 3-1 Ivy) delivered a commanding performance against the University of Pennsylvania (10-6, 1-3 Ivy) on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, securing a 73-44 victory at The Palestra arena.

The night was particularly memorable for senior guard Harmoni Turner, whose standout performance propelled her to fourth all-time in career scoring in program history.

The win also marked the Crimson’s first at the Cathedral of College Basketball since 2021, a feat senior forward Elena Rodriguez said was important for the team in a post-game ESPN+ interview.

“We know The Palestra is a hard place for us,” said Rodriguez. “We haven’t won here since my freshman year, so it was very special for us to get this win. It was a team effort. They’re a great team, so we had to celebrate.”

Three Crimson players – Rodriguez, Turner, and junior guard Saniyah Glenn-Bello – reached double figures in the contest, scoring 22, 19, and 14 points, respectively. Turner and Glenn-Bello also showcased their playmaking skills, combining for seven assists, accounting for half of the team’s total.

Harvard quickly established its offensive rhythm, with Glenn-Bello sinking two three-pointers and Turner adding another in the team’s opening three possessions. The Quakers countered with an 8-0 run, seizing a 10-9 advantage over Harvard.

Glenn-Bello broke Harvard’s scoring drought with a smooth euro step into a layup, temporarily regaining momentum for the Crimson. Both teams battled through a scoring lull over three minutes until Turner broke the silence with a well-executed step back jumper. The Quakers found an equalizer late, leaving the teams deadlocked at 13-13 at the end of the first quarter.

Glenn-Bello continued to lead the Crimson offense, opening the period with another euro step layup. Rodriguez made her presence felt, adding a tip in score and finishing two layups off well executed pick-and-roll plays with Glenn-Bello that earned Harvard a 21-15 lead halfway through the period.

The Quakers struggled to close the gap, with every push countered by a swift Crimson response. A late jumper from junior captain Katie Krupa extended Harvard’s lead, sending the team into halftime with a 31-23 advantage.

Harvard head coach Carrie Moore said the team emphasized scoring in the paint.

“We took advantage of areas where we feel that we have the advantage, and the more that we can do until they can make an adjustment is the game plan,” Moore said.

Rodriguez kicked off the Crimson’s scoring in the third quarter, using an off ball screen to exploit a mismatch in the paint and finishing strong for a three-point play. Rodriguez and Turner orchestrated the Crimson offense, combining to score 18 of Harvard’s 23 points in the period by relentlessly attacking the paint.

The Crimson defense dominated the Quakers, forcing a dominant 17-1 run and outscoring Penn 23-8 in the third quarter as Harvard led 54-32 heading into the fourth quarter.

“When we got into the locker room, we thought now we have to execute the game plan better,” said Rodriguez. “We stuck to it and my teammates were finding me. We just get the work done.”

Penn had no answers for Harvard’s senior duo, as Rodriguez connected with a cutting Turner for a pull up jumper and a three-point play. Harvard’s offense thrived in transition, capitalizing on five forced turnovers, converting each into points. One turnover resulted in another three-point play for Turner, propelling her to fourth all-time in career points scored for Harvard. The teams exchanged baskets to reach our final score of 73-44.

The win keeps Harvard in third place in the Ivy League, though the team holds the best overall record in the conference. Up next, the Crimson face its biggest rivalry of the season, as the struggling Yale Bulldogs (1-15, 0-3 Ivy) travel to Lavietes Pavilion next Saturday for a classic Harvard-Yale showdown.

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