White’s Career Night Lifts Harvard Past Yale on the Road

In the first game of a back-to-back Ivy League road trip, Harvard women’s basketball (14-8, 7-2 Ivy) took care of business Friday night, holding off Yale (5-17, 1-8) 70–62, in New Haven to earn its fifth straight win.

Junior guard Karlee White led the way with a career night, scoring 35 points on 16-for-26 shooting as the Crimson never trailed. Harvard shot 50 percent from the field and built a lead that reached 17 points before withstanding a late push from the Bulldogs.

Harvard came out sharp, jumping ahead early behind steady pressure on both ends of the floor. The Crimson opened the game on a 22–11 run in the first quarter, forcing five Bulldog turnovers and consistently finding good looks in the paint. White set the tone immediately, attacking off the dribble and finishing through contact as Harvard established control.

Yale showed more life in the second quarter, leaning on senior guard Ciniya Moore to generate offense. Moore’s shot-making helped keep the Bulldogs within range, but Harvard continued to dictate play and went into halftime up 39–27, led by efficient shooting and strong team rebounding.

The Bulldogs made their strongest push after the break, cutting the deficit to single digits in the fourth quarter as Moore stayed aggressive. Moore knocked down a jumper during Yale’s second-half push to keep the Bulldogs within single digits. She finished with 32 points, accounting for more than half of Yale’s scoring, but Harvard answered each run. White knocked down timely consecutive baskets late to halt Yale’s momentum, and the Crimson’s defense followed with a defensive stop that helped Harvard reestablish control down the stretch. The Crimson continued to limit second-chance opportunities and took advantage of turnovers to close out the game.

Harvard won the rebounding battle 31–28, an important margin, given the free-throw gap favored Yale. Senior forward Abigail Wright chipped in 12 points and six rebounds while senior Katie Krupa filled the stat sheet with nine points, seven assists, and five rebounds in 39 minutes.

Harvard left Lee Amphitheater with another road win, improving to 14–8 overall and 7–2 in Ivy League play. After building its lead early and absorbing Yale’s late push, the Crimson showed the kind of composure that has defined its recent stretch. With White’s career night setting the tone, Harvard continues to find ways to close out games as the regular season moves forward.

The Crimson heads into Saturday’s matchup at Brown with momentum as they continue to rally for position in the conference standings.

—Staff Writer Natalia Howard Pagán can be reached at [email protected].