In 13 previous games this season, Yale sophomore guard Elles van Der Maas had logged a total of 29 minutes in 10 appearances, scoring 29 points.
But Saturday against Harvard, the Sydney, Australia native exploded for a team-high 22 points in 25 minutes, helping lead Yale to a hard-fought 80-73 win over Harvard at John J. Lee Amphitheater.
That was half the story.
The other half of the story was a torrid second quarter by Yale (8-7, 1-1 Ivy) in which it went on a 17-0 tear and finished the half on a 20-3 run to seize a 40-36 lead at the intermission.
Yale has been a team of runs all season, and this game proved to be no different.
Jenna Clark ended up with 15 points and a team-high 10 assists and Klara Astrom pitched in 15, well above her average of 10.8 points per game.
Harvard (7-8, 0-1) was led in scoring by standout sophomore guard Lola Mullaney, who contributed a career-high 27 points, including seven three-pointers.
Yale and Harvard combined to make 23 three-pointers. The Bulldogs went 12-for-26 (46.2%), while the Crimson went 11-for-28 (39.3%).
Yale entered the game with a scoring average of 59 points per game and a stout defense. But Saturday, the Elis offense proved flexible enough to win a high-scoring game.
Yale outrebounded Harvard 40-34. Camilla Emsbo collected 12 caroms and Alex Cade six.
Before the game, Yale gave a video tribute to retiring Harvard head coach Kathy Delaney-Smith and presented her with a gift.
Harvard now leads the all-team series 54-35.
Both teams are in action next Saturday, as Yale travels to Cornell and Harvard hosts Columbia.