Harvard Women’s Basketball Dominates the Paint in 63-42 Victory Over Holy Cross

Harvard women’s basketball won its second consecutive game on Monday night, defeating Holy Cross 63-42 at Hart Center Arena behind strong two-way performances from junior guard Lydia Chatira and sophomore guard Olivia Jones.

Following an 81-51 victory over Boston College in its home opener on Thursday, the Crimson (2-1) continued its winning streak, handing the Crusaders (2-1) their first loss of the season. Despite struggling from beyond the arc, Harvard controlled the game through its rebounding and inside scoring, building a double-digit lead by halftime and extending it to 24 points in the fourth quarter.

Chatira led all Crimson scorers with a career-high 17 points on six-of-11 shooting in 37 minutes, adding six rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks. Jones recorded her first double-double of the season and second of her career, finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds, including five offensive boards.

After combining for 42 points last game, captains forward Abigail Wright and guard Karlee White both started slow, going scoreless for nearly the entire first half as Wright missed her first five field goals and White got into early foul trouble. However, the two seniors came into form as the game continued.

Wright finished with 14 points and seven rebounds, while White contributed 11 points, six rebounds, and three assists. For the first time this season, Harvard had four players score in double figures.

Unlike its previous game against Boston College, when the Crimson knocked down 12 three-pointers on 40 percent shooting, Harvard made just two of its 19 three-point attempts against Holy Cross. Instead, the Crimson relied heavily on its presence inside, outscoring the Crusaders 40-14 in the paint.

Harvard also dominated the glass, outrebounding Holy Cross 50-32 and tallying a 19-8 advantage on offensive rebounds. Those additional opportunities proved very valuable, as the Crimson finished with 21 second-chance points compared to the Crusaders’ five.

Defensively, Harvard held Holy Cross to 30.2 percent shooting from the field and forced 14 turnovers, converting those mistakes into 17 points. In the first half, the Crusaders found some success breaking the Crimson’s full-court press by swinging the ball cross-court to the weak side, forcing Harvard to retreat into its man defense. But the home team struggled to capitalize in the half-court, particularly inside the paint.

Chatira knocked down a three-pointer on a White assist just 45 seconds into the game. Holy Cross responded with a triple from senior guard Kendall Eddy to tie the score, but Jones quickly put the Crimson back in front with a second-chance layup after grabbing an offensive rebound.

White picked up two fouls in the opening four minutes and was forced to the bench for the rest of the first half, but Harvard kept finding offensive opportunities through Chatira and Jones.

After Holy Cross cut the deficit to one following a three-pointer from sophomore guard Brianna McDermott, Jones grabbed another offensive rebound and scored with a layup to extend Harvard’s lead to 10-7. Chatira followed with a second-chance basket of her own, before James knocked down a three-pointer with just under two minutes remaining in the first period.

The Crimson entered the second quarter ahead 15-7, having held the Crusaders to only two field goals on 14.3 percent shooting in the opening quarter. Chatira and Jones accounted for all 15 of the Crimson’s first-quarter points, with the junior contributing eight and the sophomore tallying seven.

Holy Cross was more successful early in the second quarter, cutting Harvard’s lead to six points twice. The Crimson fended off the Crusaders by continuing to generate scoring opportunities through its defensive pressure and offensive rebounds. After relying primarily on full-court, man-to-man pressure in its first two games, Harvard found more success with its zone pressure against Holy Cross.

Chatira grabbed an offensive rebound and converted a layup to open the Crimson’s second-quarter scoring, then intercepted a pass out of a double-team and raced down the court for another basket, extending the lead to 19-11. The second basket gave the junior 12 points, already surpassing her previous career high.

Jones added another layup halfway through the quarter, and sophomore guard Ava Krumwiede later converted a fast-break opportunity following a steal by Chatira, giving Harvard a 25-17 lead.

Senior guard Janie Bachmann helped Holy Cross cut into the lead with two baskets in the paint. The Crusaders shot 55.6 percent from the field in the second quarter, a big improvement from their 14.3 percent shooting in the first.

The Crimson finished the half strong, scoring six unanswered points to extend its advantage. Wright knocked down two free throws before converting a layup off an assist from Jones, and sophomore forward Sam Wills added a jumper at the buzzer to send the team into halftime up 31-19.

After playing just four scoreless minutes in the first half, White returned to the court after the break and quickly made up for lost time. She earned a trip to the line and went one-for-two to open the Crimson’s scoring, then got to the rim for a layup that extended Harvard’s lead to 34-19.

White ended up scoring seven of the Crimson’s 15 third-quarter points in a period when Harvard went zero-for-eight from beyond the arc. On the eighth miss — an attempt from the right corner by Jones with five seconds remaining — junior guard Alayna Rocco grabbed the offensive rebound and laid the ball in off the glass as time expired, establishing a 46-32 lead entering the fourth quarter.

The final quarter marked smoother sailing for the Crimson, as Holy Cross failed to muster a comeback. Harvard started the frame on a 6-0 run, building up a 20-point lead. It responded to nearly every Crusader field goal with a basket on the ensuing possession.

White continued to contribute offensively, scoring six points in the final quarter, while Jones added a jumper off an offensive rebound to extend Harvard’s lead to 23 with just under three minutes remaining. Chatira then completed a three-point play in the final minute, giving the Crimson its largest lead of the night at 63-39.

The eventual 63-42 victory marked Harvard’s second consecutive win by at least 20 points. Last season, nine of the Crimson’s 20 wins were by 20 or more points.

Harvard will strive to extend its winning streak to three on Wednesday night as it returns to Lavietes Pavilion to host the University of Massachusetts (1-1) and kick off a three-game homestand. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST on Nov. 11.

—Staff writer Samuel S. Rudavsky can be reached at [email protected].

—Staff writer Tamar H. Scheinfeld can be reached at [email protected].