Down two at the half, the Harvard women used a 17-0 third quarter to put away Holy Cross 61-46 on Wednesday evening at Lavietes Pavilion.
The Crimson’s victory was even more impressive given the fact that the team was missing two starters and three of its top six rotation players due to injuries, as well as having its travel scheduled delayed by 10 to 12 hours due to connecting flight problems after the win at Arkansas on Sunday.
The win brought Carrie Moore’s squad back to the .500 level at 5-5 on the year, while the Crusaders fell to 3-5.
A few thoughts as Harvard starts December with its first two-game winning streak of the season:
The third quarter was the charm
The two teams kept each other close over the opening twenty minutes with seven ties. Holy Cross guard Simone Foreman connected on two free throws in the last minute to ultimately taking a 31-29 lead into the break.
Foreman was questionable for the contest, but the senior came off the disabled list to total 10 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
When the game resumed, Harvard upped its defensive effort to dominate Holy Cross and finish the third quarter up 46-31.
Over the fateful ten minutes, the Crimson held the Crusaders to a 0-for-6 effort from the field, including five missed three-pointers, while forcing 11 turnovers and holding a +19% advantage on the glass.
On the offensive side, Harvard connected on all five of its free throws but only made five of 16 attempts from the field. Fortunately, sophomore guard Alayna Rocco went 3-for-6, including two triples.
Making the best of a tough situation
The Crimson continue to be without the services of three key guards, junior Karlee White, senior Gabby Anderson and sophomore Lydia Chatira.
White’s injury at the Boston College game on Nov. 19 looked like it could be season-ending, but the MRI was negative for ligament damage and team’s leading scorer will hopefully return from a deep bone bruise on Dec. 21 (Maine) or Dec. 29 (Delaware).
Anderson, who went down with a left knee injury during her homecoming game at Arkansas, had an MRI earlier in the week and the result is expected back by Wednesday. Meanwhile, Chatira, who started all 29 games last year at the point, is day-to-day with a wrist injury.
Without that trio on the court, more is expected of other members of the rotation and players who haven’t seen as much time earlier in the year.
Starting forward Katie Krupa, who scored 12 points and added six assists on Wednesday, has certainly made the most of her increased role. Over the last five games, the Morton, Ill. native has averaged 12.2 points and 4.8 assists per game, which has been a noticeable improvement from the first five contests.
Starting wing Saniyah Glenn-Bello has been more aggressive over the last few games, shaking off the effects of an opening night injury against St. John’s, to lead Harvard with 14 points and three steals on the evening. In her last five contests, the senior has average 13 points and 2.2 steals, which compare more favorably than the 6.4 points and one steal she averaged in the first quintet of games.
Rocco, who earned her first start of the year against Holy Cross, is another player rising to the challenge. In her last two games, the North Catholic High School grad has logged 30 and 36 minutes, respectively, and finished with 15 points against Arkansas and 12 versus the Crusaders.
Wright needs to stay upright
Abigail Wright has always been a key part of Moore’s plans for the 2025-26 season, but her importance increased significantly after White and Anderson went to the disabled list.
As a result of these major injuries, it is vital to the Crimson’s success that the junior forward remain on the court as much as possible.
Wright had a productive night on Wednesday, finishing with 10 points and eight rebounds, but she was limited to only 20 minutes due to picking up two fouls in the first 11 minutes, her third three-plus minutes into the second half and a fourth two minutes into the final frame.
Similarly, the Illinois native had nine points and seven boards, while limited to only 22 minutes of game time against the Razorbacks due to two first-quarter fouls and another halfway through the third quarter.
With defenses aware of the lack of depth in the frontcourt due to the team’s injuries and Wright’s proclivity for picking up fouls (six games with four fouls, three games with three), she will need to stay composed at all times, so she can get back to the 30.9-minute and 14.9-point averages from the first eight games of the year.
Next up…
The Crimson’s crazy nonconference schedule continues with a Friday 11 a.m. Education Day home contest against Stony Brook. Hopefully, there will be good news on the court against the Seawolves and off the court with Anderson’s MRI to send Harvard into the finals break on positive notes.