Basketball '10-'11
Ivy Hoops Wide Open for the Taking
As winter begins to creep over Cambridge, anticipation builds for the encore to the most successful season in the history of Harvard men’s basketball. Last year, the Crimson finished 21-8—the first time in school history that the team has won more than 20 games—and advanced to the postseason for the first time in over 60 years.
But for Harvard, one thing remained elusive. Despite climbing from a 6-8 conference record in 2008-09 to 10-4 last year, the Crimson was once again unable to claim the Ivy League title, finishing in third place in the Ancient Eight standings behind Cornell and Princeton.
Harvard Sets Sights on Ivy League Title
In 2009-10, the Harvard women’s basketball team finished its season with a 20-9 overall record while going 11-3 in league play. With that record, the Crimson earned a second-place finish behind Princeton in the Ivy League standings, sending the team to its second consecutive Women’s National Invitation Tournament berth.
Unfortunately for Harvard, the young Crimson team’s postseason run ended quickly with an 87-68 loss to Syracuse in the first round of the WNIT.
Court Marshals
In sports, any successful team is ultimately driven by good leadership. For the Harvard women’s basketball team, good leadership will be decided by a duo of talented seniors who have three previous years to guide them.
Christine Matera and Jackie Alemany will lead a troupe of veteran players in an attempt to leave a lasting legacy by winning an oft-elusive Ivy League title.
Second Year Together Fosters Team Unity
Second chances are hard to come by, but the Harvard women’s basketball team has the rare opportunity to build on a second-place finish in the Ivy League with all the same players—not to mention a few additions.
“It’s great having everyone back,” sophomore forward Victoria Lippert says. “We’re united in our collective goal of winning an Ivy championship...so we’re all here for that mission of hanging up another banner in the gym. Being back together for another year, I think, is only going to help us.”
The Youngest Veterans
Meet the Harvard women’s basketball’s version of the Fab Five.
With no seniors on the team last season and a flurry of injuries that took place as the year progressed, the highly-touted freshman class—comprised of forwards Victoria Lippert and Emma Golen, guards Jasmine Evans and Elle Hagedorn, and center Miriam Rutzen—found itself contributing to the team a bit earlier than it expected.