Harvard Pulls Away Early to Defeat Navy in WBIT First Round

Harvard women’s basketball (19-11, 10-4 Ivy League) didn’t need much time to take control of Thursday night’s game against the United States Naval Academy (22-9, 15-2 Patriot League). The Crimson started the game on a 15-0 run, kept its foot on the gas the rest of the way, and defeated Navy 73-52 at Lavietes Pavilion in the first round of the Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament (WBIT).

With this win, Harvard will advance to face Eastern Kentucky, which defeated Utah in a first-round upset. The WBIT, comparable to the men’s NIT, provides strong teams that missed the NCAA Tournament with an opportunity to continue competing and extend their season.

From the very first possession, the Crimson made a statement. Senior guard Saniyah Glenn-Bello knocked down a three to open the game, and the home team built momentum from there. Junior captain Abigail Wright scored in the paint on consecutive possessions, and fellow junior captain Karlee White recorded multiple steals and transition layups in the first quarter.

Harvard’s defense was just as prominent as its scoring. Glenn-Bello and White remained active, forcing turnovers and pushing the pace in transition. Wright pushed for a layup at the buzzer, giving Harvard a 25-11 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Crimson’s strong first quarter quelled any concerns over how the team would perform after a hard-fought Ivy League Tournament. Harvard narrowly missed out on a return trip to the NCAA Tournament after a 10-0 run by Princeton broke a tied game with four minutes left. The Crimson pulled off an upset of second-seeded Columbia in the first round, but the loss to the Tigers in the championship game kept Harvard from clinching the Ivy League’s auto-bid to the dance.

The road team began to find more of a rhythm in the second quarter. Junior guard Zanai Barnett-Gay generated the Midshipmen’s momentum off midrange jumpers and transition takes. Still, the Crimson never let the game get out of hand. Sophomore guard Nina Emnace hit an early three, and Wright continued to dominate the paint for the entirety of the first half. A last-second jumper from senior center Kate Samson brought Navy within 11 at the end of the half, but Harvard maintained a 38-27 lead.

Any momentum that the Midshipmen had built to close the first half didn’t last long after the break. Despite an early Navy run, capped by freshman guard Zoe Mesuch hitting a three-pointer to cut the lead to five, Harvard ran away with the game in the third quarter. White scored in the paint on consecutive possessions, including a three-point play. Emnace also contributed multiple threes to stretch the lead again. On top of that, Glenn-Bello came up with a steal and finished in transition, part of a run that pushed the game out of the Midshipmen’s reach. Glenn-Bello recorded 5 total steals in the game.

By the end of the third quarter, the Crimson led 59-40, having created a comfortable cushion heading into the final period. White led Harvard with 19 points while Wright added 14, and senior forward Katie Krupa chipped in 12. For Navy, Barnett-Gay led the way with 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 steals.

The fourth quarter was mainly the home team putting the finishing touches on its win. Krupa knocked down a jumper and a three-pointer while White continued to score inside. The Crimson was also able to go to its bench, using almost its entire roster in the final period. The Midshipmen were never able to cut the lead below 19 in the fourth. Ultimately, Harvard won 73-52.

The difference came down to the Crimson’s strong start and overall ability to respond to all the pushes that Navy made. Harvard pushed the pace, forced turnovers, and converted them into easy points.

Now, the Crimson will shift its attention to Eastern Kentucky. Harvard hosts the Colonels on Sunday at 2 p.m. EDT at Lavietes Pavilion, looking to carry this momentum into the next round of the WBIT.

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