Large Players Pose Large Problem For Harvard in Low Post

After seeing 6’3 Yale freshman Erica Davis and 6’5 Brown junior Holly Robertson this weekend, one thing is for sure—the Ivy League is not a small world after all.

On Saturday night, Robertson proved that a big power player can be an enormous problem for a finesse team like Harvard.

“We didn’t play defense on her,” Crimson coach Kathy Delaney-Smith said. “The game plan was to not let her get the ball—how did we do? Good?”

Seeing as Robertson scored a career-high 27 points in the Bears’ 95-70 victory, Harvard’s strategy did not work as planned.

Robertson, a member of the Canadian Junior Olympic Team and the Brown water polo squad, set the tone for the game with a graceful left-handed hook at 18:32. The center proved that her overpowering drive was not a fluke by repeating it twice more in the first six minutes of the game.

“She has unbelievable hands for her size, quick moves. It’s a team defense thing. We’ve got to stop her from getting the ball in the first place,” said junior guard Rochelle Bell.

The Crimson barely had the opportunity to set up its defene during spans of the first half, as the Bears launched a full-court press very early in the game. Brown’s intense defense stunned Harvard into turnovers and poor shooting decisions, leading to rapid Bears possessions.

By the time the Crimson adjusted, Brown had gained the edge it needed.

While little got in Robertson’s way on Saturday, junior center Reka Cserny and freshman forward Christiana Lackner often stood between Davis and the basket on Friday night.

Cserny and Lackner created offense around Davis, but on the other end could only contain her to a certain degree.

After scoring three points in her seven minutes of playing time in the first half, Davis knocked down another 14 in the second frame, again in only seven minutes before fouling out.

Although Robertson has Davis bested in height, the Bulldogs freshman is unique in her sheer size. Davis camped out in the low post and was often able to overpower several defenders. She also played a large role in creating a very physical game between the two teams.

With regard to whether Davis had been a problem for Harvard, co-captain Hana Peljto answered, “Yes, a big one, in many ways. Obviously she’s a great player, she’s very good at catching it and putting it in, and she’s a strong girl.”

The Crimson worked around Davis on Friday, but benefited from her lack of playing time. The freshman has another three years in the Ivy League, however, to muscle her way past finesse.

—Staff writer Jessica T. Lee can be reached at lee45@fas.harvard.edu.