Harvard Women's basketball looks poised to make run, bust brackets this March
BOSTON -- What the Harvard Women's basketball team first envisioned back in the fall appears to be coming to fruition as March Madness fast approaches.
At 17-3 with six games still remaining in their regular season, the Crimson have already surpassed last season's win total. In their third year under head coach Carrie Moore, Harvard boasts the top-ranked scoring defense in the nation, allowing just 51.9 points per game. The Crimson held Dartmouth to just 31 points their last time out, which was the fourth time this season Harvard has held an opponent under 40 points.
Defense really is the name of Harvard's game. The Crimson beat Yale, 91-35, a few weeks ago and Northeastern, 89-37, earlier this season. The Crimson's most dominant defensive performance came back on Dec. 21 when they held Boston University to just 26 points -- winning that contest by 60 points. The Crimson had 24 steals and forced 39 turnovers by the Terriers that afternoon.
Teams are shooting just 25.5 percent from downtown against Harvard this season.
"It's very much who we are," Moore said of the team's defensive identity. "It's allowed us to win a lot of games and stay in a lot of games, even when we're struggling to score. We're still right there because of what we're doing defensively."
Harvard led by dynamic backcourt
Harvard is getting it done with a dynamic duo in their backcourt in guards and Harmoni Turner and Elena Rodriguez. Turner is averaging 3.1 steals per game for Harvard, while Rodriguez has added 1.6 swipes per contest.
Turner has also averaged a team-high 21.9 points per game for the Crimson this season, and is in the running for the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard Of The Year Award.
"It's very motivating," said Turner, a senior from Mansfield, Texas. "I don't want to just be on those lists, I want to win it."
Rodriguez, who hails from Aguimes, Spain, has averaged 12.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists this season.
Harvard poised to make a run during March Madness
At 6-2 in conference play, the Crimson are third in the Ivy League behind Columbia (17-4 overall, 8-0 in the Ivy League) and Princeton (16-5, 7-1). Those two foes account for two of Harvard's three losses on the season, along with a loss to Quinnipiac back on Nov. 10.
Harvard is not in the Top 25 at the moment, but with eight wins by 25 points or more and an impressive victory over the then-25th-ranked Indiana in Bloomington to start the season, the Crimson believe they have what it takes to win it all come March.
"We're ready," said Rodriguez. "Very Excited. We've been working since September for these types of moments."
"I feel like we all have that same drive to win," said Turner. "Drive to have something to prove and disrupt a lot of people's brackets."
Harvard hits the road this weekend for a Friday night tilt at Cornell, then a Sunday rematch against the Lions at Columbia.
