Harvard Clinches Ivy Madness Bid With Win Over Penn

The Harvard Crimson (16-9, 9-3 Ivy) outscored the University of Pennsylvania Quakers (15-10, 5-7) 60-46 at Lavietes Pavilion on Friday night. During the contest, the Crimson never trailed and clinched its fifth-straight appearance in the Ivy League Tournament.

Four Crimson players scored in double figures, led by junior captain Abigail Wright, who posted a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Senior forward Saniyah Glenn-Bello added 12 points, freshman guard Olivia Jones finished with 11, and junior captain Karlee White contributed 10. Junior guard Tina Njike led Penn with 16 points.

Senior guard Katie Krupa’s jump shot opened the game and gave Harvard an early advantage. Immediately after, the defense came into action. Both Wright and Glenn-Bello blocked shots by Njike, which set the tone inside for the remainder of the game.

Glenn-Bello sparked the offense, knocking down two consecutive three-pointers to extend the lead to 10-0. White added a three-pointer of her own, pushing the run to 13-0 before Penn could get on the board. The Quakers’ first basket came from Njike in the paint, but the Crimson closed the quarter up 17-6.

Penn briefly found momentum to open the second quarter, as senior guard Simone Sawyer converted a layup to make it 17-8. Glenn-Bello answered immediately with another three, and the Crimson continued to attack the rim. Wright and White each finished layups in the paint to stretch the lead to 26-8.

Sophomore guard Alayna Rocco provided a spark off the bench for Harvard, hitting a jumper to make it 28-10. Penn responded late in the half with a Sawyer three and an Njike jumper. Sophomore guard Katie Collins drilled a three at the buzzer to cut the Quakers’ deficit to 32-20 at halftime.

Penn mounted its strongest push after the break. Njike scored at the free-throw line and in the paint while Collins connected from deep to bring the score to 36-28. Sawyer added another three to keep the Quakers within striking distance, and a pair of baskets from Njike trimmed the lead to 40-38, the closest Penn got all night.

The Crimson did not let this run last. Rocco drilled a triple to stop the run, then finished a fast-break layup to reestablish Harvard’s clear advantage. Jones closed the quarter with a three-pointer and a basket in the paint, sending the Crimson into the fourth with a 50-39 lead.

The Crimson shut the door early in the final quarter. It began with a Wright fast-break layup off a steal, followed by two free throws to extend the lead to 54-39. Glenn-Bello added another three to make it 57-41. Penn scored inside, but could not string together enough stops to mount an effective comeback effort.

White finished in the paint and converted a free throw to push Harvard’s lead to 60-43. Penn closed the scoring at the line, but the Crimson secured the 60-46 victory.

The win clinched a spot in Ivy Madness for Harvard. The Crimson will look to defend its title as Ivy League Tournament Champions after a magical run last postseason. Last year, Harvard was the third seed in the conference tournament, where it also currently sits this season. The Crimson will return to action tonight at 6:00 p.m. EST, when it faces the No. 25 Princeton Tigers at home. Harvard will look to respond against Princeton after a tight loss that came down to the final moments earlier this season.

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