Peljto's 23 Not Enough For W. Hoops to Avoid Orange Crush

SYRACUSE, N.Y.—While the snow fell outside Manley Field House in Syracuse on Thursday afternoon, the Crimson shooters had a hard time getting anything to fall when it counted.

Harvard (6-4) was up 44-40 with 14:52 left but could not widen that lead over the Orangewomen. Syracuse (6-3) fought back and capitalized on Harvard miscues to eventually pull out the victory, 78-66.

Harvard was led once again by sophomore forward Hana Peljto, who finished the game with 23 points and 11 rebounds, for her third double-double this year. She led the Crimson in scoring for the eighth time in ten games. Her partner in points, freshman center Reka Cserny added 12 points of her own and pulled in eight boards.

"They are a very-well coached team," said Syracuse Coach Marianna Freeman. "Their post players [Peljto and Cserny] are very good, we were very impressed."

Right off the jump ball, Harvard got out to a good start, something the team had trouble doing in recent games against Northeastern and Rhode Island. Syracuse struck first, however, when Julie McBride, the Big East's leading scorer, sunk her first shot of the game to give Syracuse a 2-0 lead. Peljto would answer right back on the next possession for the Crimson, draining a three from the top of the arc.

Syracuse's Leaf Newman rained down a three of her own at the 17:16 mark in the first half. As the back and forth game continued, Harvard senior guard Jenn Monti launched up a three-pointer of her own as the Crimson pulled ahead. It would be the last time Harvard would be out in front until rallying to take a 44-42 lead with 15:11 left in the game.

The difference in the first half was Syracuse's ability to control the ball. The Orangewomen turned the ball over two times in the entire first half, as compared to Harvard's ten giveaways.

At the break, the 'Cuse held a firm 35-29 lead over the Crimson on the strength of Chineze Nwagbo's first half ten points and five rebounds. The Crimson couldn't seem to come up with an answer for Nwagbo who dominated the defensive area below the basket for Syracuse.

With Nwagbo patrolling the area under the hoop, the Crimson was forced to push the ball outside and take some longer range shots. Harvard put up 16 first-half threes, making six of them. Both Monti and Peljto notched two treys before the first-half buzzer and kept the Crimson in the ball game at the break.

Harvard was hurt by the absence of Cserny for much of the first half. She received her second foul less than eight minutes into the game and was forced to the bench for precautionary reasons. It was the second straight game that Cserny had suffered foul trouble early in the first half.

Coming out of the locker rooms after the intermission, the Crimson went on a hot streak, drawing the Orangewomen to within striking distance. Harvard went on a 13-5 run to take a 44-40 lead with 14:52 to play in the contest.

The game would stay very close with many lead changes down the stretch. Peljto made a lay-up at 11:05 to play, giving the Crimson a 48-46 lead, the last lead her team would have. After a free throw by Syracuse's Shannon Perry and a three-pointer by Jazmine Wright, Syracuse went back up, 50-48. The Crimson was able to tie the game 52-52 with 7:40 left to play after junior center Sarah Johnson recorded a steal and dished to Peljto for a jumper.

On the very next possession, sophomore guard Dirkje Dunham turned over the ball, leading to a Wright jumper, putting Syracuse up 54-52. Harvard's Johnson traveled the next time down the floor, giving the ball back to Syracuse. Off the turnover, Syracuse slowly moved the ball down the court and forced up a rushed shot as the 30-second clock expired, the shot hit rim and bounced under the basket where Peljto appeared to control the rebound. But Syracuse's Perry had other ideas as she stripped the ball out of Peljto's arms and immediately went up strong for an easy lay-up. That basket gave Syracuse a 56-52 lead with 6:04 to play.

Down by five points, 60-55, with 3:45 to play Harvard had a chance to close the gap to two. Peljto was fouled driving to the basket but her shot wouldn't fall and she managed only one of two free throws closing the Syracuse lead to four.

Harvard was outrebounded on the offensive end, 14-13, but Syracuse was able to pull down the most important boards, getting more than its fair share of second-chance opportunities. In a familiar scene from the afternoon, with 2:48 to play, Syracuse's McBride threw up a three-pointer and missed but Nwagbo was able to control the rebound and was fouled trying to put the shot back up. Nwagbo made both her shots giving Syracuse a 62-56 lead.

"They had too many offensive rebounds," said Harvard Coach Kathy Delaney-Smith. "I didn't feel we boxed out as well as we could have."

Harvard's game seemed to unravel around the two-minute mark. On the inbound, the ball flew over a jumping Peljto's head and into the Syracuse side of the court. McBride grabbed the ball and laid it in for a 66-58 Syracuse lead with 1:53 to go. The next Crimson trip down the floor resulted in a turnover and McBride, a 93-percent free-throw shooter was fouled once again. Sinking both ends of the one-and-one, McBride pushed the Orangewoman lead to ten, 68-58.

After the sloppy turnovers around the two-minute mark, Harvard would make a few last-gasp efforts to get back in the game but could never get any closer than seven after a three-pointer by senior Laura Barnard with 1:12 to go closed it to 71-64.

Syracuse went on a 16-8 run to close out the game, mainly on the strength of its foul shooting. Harvard committed nine fouls in the last two minutes as they tried to climb back in it but the Orangewomen made 20 of their 29 shots from behind the charity stripe for the game, 25 coming in the second half.

The Orangewomen were led by a balanced scoring attack, as six players scored more than eight points. Perry notched all nine of hers in the second half. Leading the way for Syracuse was Jazmine Wright who had 18 points and 5 boards while Ngwabo put up a double-double, 16 points and 11 boards.

The Crimson will next be in action against Bucknell at Lavietes Pavilion on Dec. 30.