Markley's Big Weekend Carries Young Crimson

In the game of basketball, there’s nothing like a blocked shot that brings a crowd to its feet. That instantaneous moment of contact immediately categorizes the two players involved as either the “rejector” or the “rejected.”

When the Harvard women’s basketball team took on visiting Columbia last Friday night, junior forward Emma Markley made sure she was rejecting every shot that came her way.

And what a job she did.

The six-foot-three standout registered seven blocked shots—a season-high—in the Crimson’s 73-55 rout over the Lions. In addition, Markley scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds.

“I don’t really have a secret to blocking shots,” Markley said, before joking, “I have long arms. I have to put them to good use.”

In the game against Cornell the following day, Markley continued to manhandle her opponents in the paint, quietly chipping in 10 points to go along with seven rebounds. Despite playing a more complementary role against the Big Red—junior co-captain Christine Matera led all scorers with 16 points, while sophomore point guard Brogan Berry added 14 points and seven assists—Harvard’s 69-53 victory capped off a sensational weekend for Markley.

Not surprisingly, Markley was recognized on Monday as Co-Ivy League Player of the Week.

“I’m not even going to separate this weekend from the entire year,” Crimson coach Kathy Delaney-Smith said. “I think she’s done a great job this year in staying disciplined and mentally tough. She has been consistent for us across the board.”

“She’s been doing a great job the entire season,” Matera said. “She’s the reason why we were able to beat Boston College and compete in our other nonconference games.”

As the only true forward on the active roster with any significant playing experience—co-captain junior forward Claire Wheeler is recovering from a concussion—Markley had quite the challenge in defending Lions forward Judie Lomax, a five-foot-eleven first team All-Ivy selection who led the country in rebounding last year with 14.3 per game.

“My goal was to keep her off the boards, turn around, and box her out,” Markley said.

By game’s end, Markley was clearly the more dominant player, relying on finesse and speed rather than sheer power to match up with Lomax and win the rebounding battle, eight to six.

In a matter of just three years, Markley has emerged from a reserve player recovering from injury to a veteran on this season’s underclassmen-heavy team. With the graduation of three forwards last year, Markley’s ability to provide an inside threat has proven to be even more critical for a team hoping to achieve balance in the perimeter and the paint.

Luckily for Harvard, Markley can do a little bit of everything.

“Markley’s the best forward in the league at running the floor, but she can also hit the little 10-foot jumper and post up near the basket,” Delaney-Smith said. “She’s pretty unstoppable, in my opinion.”

“[Markley] is a great post player who draws so much attention,” Matera said. “With people going down to double her, it definitely opens up the outside game for the guards. She definitely makes my job easier.”

Perhaps most importantly, Markley has stepped up this season to provide leadership for a young team that has no seniors on its roster. In a league where experience rather than talent frequently carries a team to the top of the standings, Markley’s ability to lead the freshmen and sophomores will determine just how far the Crimson will go this season.

“Scoring wise, Emma’s always been an asset to the team,” Matera said. “But where she’s grown the most is becoming a leader.”

“I think all the upperclassmen have to step up a year early,” Markley said. “We’ve all been doing a good job leading the team. It’s not the simplest thing in the world to keep a team together for the entire season, but we’re all working together.”

Yet, in spite of basketball’s team nature, it is clear that Harvard’s success hinges largely on Markley’s performance on the court. Given the way Markley has been playing recently—she leads the team in scoring, rebounds and blocks—it’s really no surprise that Harvard finds itself right in the thick of the Ivy title race.

—Staff writer Kevin T. Chen can be reached at ktchen@fas.harvard.edu.